Karnataka to exempt 7 positions from profit purview

The Karnataka government has decided to amend the Karnataka Prevention of Disqualification Act, 1967, to exempt seven positions from falling under the 'offices of profit' purview.

A special session of the state assembly will be convened on June 5 and 6 for this purpose.

The following positions will be exempt from the purview of office of profit: deputy minister, parliamentary secretary, leader of opposition, municipality president and vice-president, mayor and deputy mayor, zilla panchayat presidents and vice-presidents and chairpersons and members of boards and corporations.

The decision to amend the relevant Act was taken at the state cabinet meeting here. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Karnataka's medical education and animal husbandry minister V S Acharya said Karnataka is following the Centre in amending the Act to exempt certain positions from the office of profit purview.

"The constitutional amendment makes it obligatory on the part of the states to make appropriate changes in the local law. In accordance with the rules, we are making changes to the Act and they will be complementary to the constitutional amendment," he added.

Ever since the issue of the office of profit rocked the UPA government at the Centre resulting in the resignation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the 111-day-old coalition JD (S)-BJP government had not appointed any legislator or politician to boards and corporations either as chairpersons or members.

This was also one of the reasons for the delay in the expansion of the state council of ministers.