Chandigarh, March 12
The stage is set for the first expansion of the Punjab Council of Ministers here tomorrow. Mr Avtar Henry, a former Excise and Taxation Minister, who has been elected for the third term from Jalandhar North, appears certain to be inducted.

Sources in the state Government said that the oath-taking ceremony was scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Punjab Raj Bhavan. While they maintained that only Mr Henry would be administered the oath of office and secrecy, the chances of other additions, on the directions of the party high command, could not be ruled out.

Though Mr Henry was scheduled to take the oath along with other members of the Council of Ministers on March 5, his name was omitted from the list at the last moment after certain representations were allegedly made against him both to the AICC and the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Others in the run for inclusion in the council are certain senior party legislators who have been elected for the second or third time. Since a debate has begun whether a legislator can hold an office of profit or not, those tipped for such positions are also being mentioned for induction into the council.

Those offered these special positions — accorded special status equal to that of Cabinet Minister — would rather prefer to be in the Council of Ministers.

According to the rules, no legislator can accept any office of profit. If the government wants to appoint a legislator a member or the chairman of a public sector undertaking or of a special commission, it has to issue an ordinance to declare it a “non-profit organisation or body” .

The Chief Minister wanted one of the MLAs to head a special high-powered committee on finance but was told of the legal complications. Similarly, in the case of another MLA, the proposal of appointing him an Adviser to the Chief Minister, too, was shot down because of the legalities involved.

The Advocate-General, Mr Harbhagwan Singh, has reportedly advised the government that only after an ordinance declaring such public sector undertakings, bodies or proposed committees “non-profit bodies” has been promulgated , MLAs could be nominated or appointed to them.

The previous SAD-BJP government had nominated the Chairmen of a number of public sector undertakings from among MLAs.

Varinder Singh adds from Jalandhar: The PPCC chief and Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, appears to be under pressure from the party high command to induct Mr Henry into his Council of Ministers.

Mr Henry, who had been a vice-president of the PPCC, won the Jalandhar North seat even when there was an SAD-BJP “wave” in the 1997 Assembly elections.

The party wants his “whole-hearted presence” here for the ensuing Municipal Corporation elections as without him, it will face a Herculean task, sources in the Congress say.

Though Mr Henry maintains that he will abide by the party high command's decision, a section of the Congress leaders close to him has reportedly taken up the matter with the party high command in Delhi to get him inducted into the council.