New Delhi: President Ramnath Kovind has dismissed a plea to disqualify 27 ruling Aam Admi Party MLAs of Delhi for allegedly holding office of profit by being appointed as chairpersons of Rogi Kalyan Samitis attached to various city hospitals.
The president signed the order dismissing the plea based on an opinion given by the Election Commission (EC) in July, a senior poll panel functionary said Thursday. The EC had found no merit in the plea.
Such pleas are sent to the president who forwards it to the EC. The EC then gives its opinion based on which the president has to issue orders.
According to an order issued by the Delhi government’s health and family welfare department on April 26, the Rogi Kalyan Samitis’ (Patient Welfare Committees) are advisory in nature which will assist health facilities, develop and customise strategies among others. It stated that each Assembly Rogi Kalyan Samiti’ will be provided Rs 3 lakh per annum as grand-in aid.
According to Indian Express, in 2016, the Election Commission had issued a notice to the 27 MLAs as a consequence to a petition seeking disqualification for allegedly holding office for financial remuneration. The petitioner said that the MLAs were illegally holding posts of chairpersons of Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKSs) of different government hospitals in Delhi
“The Delhi government in 2009 through its executive/standing orders approved constituting Rogi Kalyan Samitis in all the hospitals with governing body under the chairmanship of local MLA in violating the mandate of scheme. The order of appointing MLAs either by the present government or by the earlier government, as chairperson of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti is wholly illegal and void ab initio, without any legal sanctity,” the complaint had said.
Sources in the Delhi government informed Indian Express that Sheila Dixit had set up the c back in October 2009 and that the complaint would annul in due course of time.
As reported in The Wire, a total of 20 AAP MLAs were disqualified by the Election Commission over office for profit case back in January 2018. The ‘office of profit’ controversy had started soon after AAP won in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections.
(With PTI inputs)