Former BJP MLA Bimalangshu Roy moved the Supreme Court yet again, now seeking suspension of the functioning of parliamentary secretaries of Asom till the apex court delivers its verdict on the case relating to the legality of their appointment when the People’s Representation Act is in force.
GUWAHATI, July 29: According to the People’s Representation Act that was enacted by the then NDA Government at the Centre, the size of ministries in the States and at the Centre should not be more than 15 per cent of the total strength of the Assembly or Parliament. It was taken as a cost-cutting measure. In Asom, the size of Tarun Gogoi-led Congress-BPF Government is 19, which is approximately 15 per cent of the total 126 members. But the very purpose of the downsized ministry has been defeated as the State Government appointed as many as eight parliamentary secretaries with pay and other perks same as that of Ministers of State in order to rehabilitate the aggrieved MLAs.A case filed by Roy on the legality of appointment of parliamentary secretaries is pending in the Supreme Court. Roy had filed the case in the Gauhati High Court first, but since two such cases, one from Himachal Pradesh and the other from Punjab, were clubbed together in the Supreme Court, the Gauhati High Court sent the case filed by Roy also to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, both Himachal Pradesh and Punjab Governments withdrew their petitions from the Supreme Court and dissolved the posts of parliamentary secretaries.Talking to The Sentinel today, Roy said: “My petition for suspension of functioning of the parliamentary secretaries will come up for hearing on August 1. The main petition against the legality of appointment of parliamentary secretaries is at its last stage and its final hearing will be on any Friday in September”.It is worth mentioning here that both Himachal Pradesh and Punjab governments had moved the Supreme Court after they had been defeated in the case in their respective high courts.Another case against appointment of parliamentary secretaries in Goa has also been pending in the Bombay High Court. Though the final hearing of the case was held long back, the Bombay High Court has not delivered its judgement as the case filed by Bimalangshu Roy is still pending in the Supreme Court. The verdict of the Supreme Court on the case filed by Roy will determine the fate of parliamentary secretaries of Asom and other States of the country.Meanwhile, in a related development, the Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice to the Nagaland Government as to why it had appointed as many as 13 parliamentary secretaries in the State. Asom has as many as eight parliamentary secretaries. They are Ajit Singh, Bidya Singh Engleng, Jibontara Ghatowar, Bivekananda Doley, Parameswar Brahma, Uttara Kalita, Dildar Rezza and Sarat Saikia. source: sentinel assam
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