Archives

NEW DELHI, Thursday (AFP) Indian cabinet Monday decided to limit the number of ministers in federal and state governments by allowing a maximum of 10 percent of the strength of the legislatures.

"The cabinet decided to fix a ceiling of 10 percent on the strength of the house for the council of ministers," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters here.

Swaraj, who also heads the health ministry, said that cabinet also amended a provision of the anti-defection law so that any member of a political party who opposes a party whip or direction will now automatically lose party membership.

She said the new law would close a loophole which allowed up to one-third of the membership of a party to legally split if they all opposed a whip.

"This law was grossly misused and it indirectly encouraged mass defections in a political party," she said.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager