New Delhi: The Cabinet is meeting on Thursday - and on the agenda is setting up the Sixth Pay Commission for government employees and also the controversial Office of Profit Bill.
Thursday's cabinet meeting will be dominated by discussions on the Office of Profit Bill.
There are two views in the government - one to return the Bill to the President A P J Abdul Kalam without modifications, the other is to include a few more offices under the exemption list to add to the existing 56 offices.
They said a final decision would be taken at the Union Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi have already held consultations with political parties, including UPA allies, on the issue.
The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill (as the office of profit bill is known), passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha earlier this month, is likely to be taken up at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday for being re-presented in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said only on Tuesday that the Cabinet would take a decision on the issue in a day or two.
Congress sources have generally maintained that the bill might be referred to the President 'as it is' as the suggestions made by him could not be incorporated for a variety of reasons.
The Prime Minister had met President on May 31 as it was grappling with the problem arising out of his refusal of assent to the bill which seeks to exempt 56 posts from being considered offices of profit 'either in the present form or amended'.
The President's decision to refer the bill back to Parliament was used by the Opposition to target the government and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
However, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj, who had piloted the bill in Parliament, had then asserted that there was 'no lacunae' in the legislation but 'we would respectfully reconsider it' since the President has returned it.
(With inputs from CNN-IBN)
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