Tricks to placate disgruntled MLAs
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 01, 2012 -

Oath-taking ceremony for newly expanded ministers by Governor at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on April 28 2012 :: Pix - Bullu Raj

In a state deficient in every aspect, it is interesting to note that one problem of plenty that Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has to deal with in trying to secure his position is to keep his own teeming party MLAs at bay.

Just as 'uneasy lies the head that wears a crown', none but Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh may be knowing better in advance that the unprecedented victory of Congress party in securing 42 seats out of the total 60 in the recent elections to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly was not an occasion for celebration but of caution.

Though the Ministry has been expanded at long last after more than one months of swearing in the new Government, the task of consolidating his position is far from over. In fact, it has just begun.

To placate the disgruntled Congress MLAs who did not get Ministerial berths and to keep his flocks together, it is believed that Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is toying with the idea of creating and offering the post of Parliamentary Secretaries to these unhappy MLAs. But this measure too is not likely to dispel the uneasiness from the mind of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.

Now, it has come to light that the post of Parliamentary Secretaries with which Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is trying to pacify the disgruntled Congress MLAs has no Constitutional validity, and creation of such posts has been challenged in law courts in other States like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Assam.

The handbook of the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, which is also the authority of the post, has stated in no uncertain term that the post of Parliamentary Secretary has no Constitutional sanction, and as there is no statutory power, no file of the Government would ever land on the table of the MLAs holding the posts of Parliamentary Secretaries.

As per Article 164 of the Constitution, the post of Parliamentary Secretary could not be considered at parity with that of a Minister who has a say in the Council of Ministers.

Similarly, Himachal Pradesh High Court had ruled in April 2005 that the creation or appointment of Parliamentary Secretary was a 'fraud on the Constitution' and hearings of the cases in other States are pending.

Since it is becoming clearer that the post of Parliamentary Secretary does not existing in the Constitution of India and no State Act or statute authorizes a Chief Minister to create such posts, how our own Chief Minister is going to tackle the issue at hand is to be seen.

The necessity of accommodating and appeasing disgruntled MLAs may have arisen from the Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act, 2003 which limits the size of a Ministry to 10 per cent of the strength of the House, the fact still remains that the tax-payers' money should not be spent on creation of posts or institutions which have no purpose or significance.