On Board Prime Minister's Special Aircraft: The Cabinet will take up the controversial Office of Profit Bill in the next two days to decide whether it should be taken to Parliament as it is or modified, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday.
"We haven't had a meeting of the Cabinet on this (office of bill) issue. In a day or two we will hopefully settle that issue also,” Singh said on his way back from a three-day visit to St. Petersburg.
He was asked whether the bill, which was passed earlier this year and returned by President APJ Abdul Kalam, would be brought to Parliament in the same form.
The Prime Minister said, "In due course of time, we will go to Parliament. First of all, the President has sent a message. We will discuss it and then the bill will be debated in Parliament.”
Earlier in May at the height of the disqualification controversy, the President had returned the Bill to Parliament for reconsideration for a "comprehensive and generic" criteria which should be "fair and reasonable" and applicable in a "clear and transparent" manner.
He had raised the questions over the implication of including the names of offices over which disqualification petitions were pending before the Election Commission and the applicability of the law with retrospective effect.
PM also hinted at the possibility of having a full-fledged External Affairs Minister in the Cabinet.
Singh said he was "hopeful" about the appointment and went on to add, "It can be at anytime".
The Prime Minister has retained the External Affairs portfolio after incumbent K Natwar Singh was relieved of the portfolio in the wake of the Volcker controversy.
He also effectively ruled out any changes in his ministry. "I am not thinking in terms of a reshuffle right now."
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