Wednesday, May 31 2006 14:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will today (May 31, 2006) meet President A P J Abdul Kalam to articulate the Government's position after the latter returned the controversial Office of Profit Bill to Parliament for reconsideration.

Singh, who held consultations with Law Minister H R Bhardwaj and other legal and constitutional experts, will meet Kalam at 5 p.m. at Rashtrapati Bhavan, official sources said.

In an embarrassment to Government's efforts to exempt several posts from being considered office of profit, the President had yesterday returned to Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006 for reconsideration and sought a 'comprehensive and generic' criteria.

He also wants that the criteria should be 'fair and reasonable' and applicable in a 'clear and transparent' manner across all the states and union territories.

Another important point the President has raised is in relation to the posts sought to be exempted by the new law.

The implication of including the names of offices for which petitions were already pending under process by the competent authority should also be addressed by Parliament while reconsidering the bill.

The President has urged both Houses of Parliament, which passed the bill in the just concluded session, to reconsider the propriety of the applicability of law with retrospective effect.

The bill exempted 56 posts, including that of Chairperson of National Advisory Council, a post held by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Official sources said Government is likely to reintroduce the Office of Profit Bill in the coming monsoon session of Parliament for its reconsideration after taking into account the views of the President.