The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the Delhi chief secretary to provide all details, including copies of appointment letters, of all 21 AAP MLAs who are working as parliamentary secretaries in the Delhi government. The commission has also sought details of the nature of duties assigned to all 21 parliamentary secretaries and whether they are eligible for a salary, honorarium fee and payment for any other service.
The election panel has also sought information from the Delhi government on whether any office space and supporting staff have been provided to the parliamentary secretaries. In a letter, ECI secretary Anuj Jaipuriar said: “Arrangement for transportation, whether any vehicle/driver has been provided for transportation provided to them, may also be informed. Whether any travelling allowance or reimbursement is being provided for travel expenses and whether daily allowances have been made in connection with transportation.”
The commission has also sought details of telephone and camp office facilities, if any, provided to the 21 legislators. Earlier, the EC had decided to hold a personal hearing from July 14 for the 21 MLAs who have been made parliamentary secretaries and are facing the risk of disqualification. The 21 MLAs had sought a personal hearing before the poll body. The petition for their disqualification was made by lawyer Prashant Patel. Maintaining that there was no “pecuniary benefit” associated with the post, the MLAs, in their response to the poll body, also said that parliamentary secretary is a “post” without any remuneration or power. The AAP government had appointed 21 parliamentary secretaries to assist the Delhi government ministers.
Thereafter, the government had sought an amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997. Through the bill, which has been forwarded to the Centre by the L-G, the AAP government wanted retrospective exemption for the parliamentary secretaries from disqualification provisions.
The ECI has taken cognisance of the President’s decision against signing a Delhi government bill to exclude the post of parliamentary secretary from the ambit of office of profit.
