Barkataki and Bordoloi: Awaiting appointments

Guwahati, June 1: Dispur today started processing the files pertaining to the stalled appointments of newly-elected as well as former MLAs to various government undertakings and boards.

Sources in chief minister Tarun Gogoi?s office said he had given nod to appointmen-ts of four Congress MLAs and two former MLAs before leaving on a three-nation official tour as head of a finance ministers? delegation yesterday.

However, Dispur has taken precaution to ensure that the appointments do not fall under the raging ambit of the office of profit issue, which returned to the centrestage on Tuesday evening after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam returned the office of profit bill to Parliament for reconsideration. As things stand now, the Centre will reintroduce it before the monsoon session of Parliament with certain changes.

Sources said Dispur held a series of discussions with legal experts, including advocate general A.K. Phookan today and before, and the notification regarding the appointments will be ready by the time the chief minister returns on June 11 or 12.

The posts are equivalent to the rank of cabinet ministers. Those who stand to benefit from the appointments as and when it is cleared include Sarat Barkataki, who is set to take over as the vice-chairman of the State Planning Board. Others include Robin Bordoloi, Rameshwar Dhanowar, G.C. Langthasa, Hemo Prova Saikia and Wajed Ali Choudhury. Saikia and Choudhury lost the elections this time.

?Gogoi is trying to rehabilitate them as they could not be accommodated as ministers. Though they were not on the best of terms, barring Choudhury, their accommodation would virtually silence Gogoi-baiters, at least temporarily,? a source said.

A senior official today admitted that legal opinions were sought on The Assam State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1950, as amended till 1974 to ensure everything was in the clear. ?Section 7 of the Act deals with appointment to government boards and undertakings. The authorities have cleared the appointments keeping this in mind. The only thing we have to keep an eye on is that no appointment is made against any elected post,? the source said.

?The state act is not subordinate to the Central act. We have already started our processing internally and have sent the files to departments concerned,? the source said.

Debojit Das, officer on special duty to the chief minister, said this evening that the distribution of departments to the eight newly-appointed parliamentary secretaries would be done once Gogoi returns from his overseas tour.

However, many of the would-be beneficiaries have advocated a wait-and-watch policy till all the controversies die down. ?What will be the use of going after an office which might result in our disqualification as MLAs,? one of them told The Telegraph.