Punjab Governor gives assent to new bill paving way for MLAs to become chairpersons

Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore has given his assent to the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2018, paving way for the appointment of Congress MLAs as chairpersons of boards and corporations.

"The assent to the bill has been given by the Punjab governor," a senior government official said Friday.

His approval comes nearly two months after the Punjab Assembly passed the bill.

On August 28, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had passed the bill to add various categories of office of profit to the current list of positions which MLAs can hold without inviting disqualification.

The bill was brought in an apparent bid to placate the sulking legislators who had expressed disappointment over not being inducted as ministers in cabinet expansion in April.

Earlier, the Punjab government had sought to bring amendments through ordinance route, but the governor had refused to give his assent, asking the government to bring the bill to the assembly first.

(With inputs from agencies.)