No statutory status for Parliamentary Secretary post
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 29 2012:
The post of Parliamentary Secretary with which Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is trying to pacify the disgruntled Congress MLAs who did not get Ministerial berths, has no statutory origin.
The post of Parliamentary Secretary exists in some states of the country as well.
The handbook of the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, which is also the authority of the post, has mentioned very clearly that the post of Parliamentary Secretary has no Constitutional guarantee.
As there is no statutory power, no file of the Government would ever land on the table of the person in charge of the post.
In accordance to a ruling passed by Himachal Pradesh High Court in April, 2005, appointment to the post of Parliamentary Secretary is against the Constitution.
As per Article 164 of the Constitution, the post is not on par with any Ministers and whoever in-charge of the post would have no say in the Council of Ministers.
Taking into consideration of all these factors, political observers have questioned why the tax payers' money has to be spending needlessly over such insignificant post.
Moreover, in accordance to 91st Amendment Act, 2003 of Indian Constitution, the number of Ministers in any States or the country should not be more than 10 percent of the existing total Parliamentary/Assembly seats.
However, in smaller States like Manipur, the 10 percent norm has been relaxed and fixed 12 Ministers as the size of the Ministry.
So opinions have also been expressed that appointment to the post of Parliamentary Secretary is in contravene to the Act.