Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. (Express photo/File)
Punjab may soon bring in a legislation to prevent conflict of interest by its elected representatives, government officials and employees.
The state’s Legal Remembrance (LR) has already cleared the draft of Punjab Law of Prevention of Conflict of Interest prepared by department of general administration, which has put up the file to the Chief Minister’s Office. If CM clears it, the government may bring an ordinance to this effect in a Cabinet meeting soon.
Sources said the law is being brought to discourage elected representatives from being engaged in a business or enterprise that could be furthered with the help of his or her position being held in the government.
Under the law, the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs, officials and employees would be required to give an undertaking that they and their family members do not have any stakes in private businesses and government works.
There have been several complaints about MLAs being engaged in sand mining business. A list of over 30 such MLAs was submitted to the CM a few months ago. There were also complaints of MLAs’ involvement in other businesses. Under the law, every elected representative would be asked to disassociate himself from any business or enterprise that would be in conflict with his post in the government.
The law would also bar his immediate family members to take up any enterprise in which the representative could help his kin by using his official position.
Such a law was a pre-poll promise made by the Congress in the state.