5 December 2000

INDIA'S MPs TO GET RS 34,900 PER MONTH PLUS HOST OF FREEBIES

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament are trying to get themselves a hefty hike of 75 per cent to themselves to raise their carry-home packet from Rs 20,500 to Rs 34,900 by way of salaries and allowances.

The daily allowance that they get during Parliament session or meetings of numerous Parliamentary panels is extra which is also being sought to be raised from Rs 400 to Rs 500 per day. Free telephone calls in thousands in Delhi and home constituency, free air and rail travel for self, spouse and aides, computes and laptops, accommodation in Delhi at the give-away price and subsidised food in Parliament canteens are some of the other facilities that are thrown in as necessities to enable them to function as efficient MPs.

And, they will not even wait for the Union Budget that is only two months away in February for showering largesse of increased salary and allowances on themselves as they are pestering Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi to tell the government to move the required legislation in the current winter session of Parliament itself. And, the government is willing too as the matter was listed on the agenda fixed for the Tuesday meeting of the Union Cabinet.

The revision of salaries and allowances to MPs has been recommended by a committee set up by the Lok Sabha Speaker and as such the government's plea is that it is duty-bound to honour the diktat of the Speaker to implement the committee report.

Even this is not enough as the MPs keep raising the demand in both the Houses of Parliament since the beginning of the winter session that the powers given to them to sanction public works in their areas be increased further by raising the ceiling of such works in a year from Rs 2 crores to Rs 4 crores.

Here is the break-up of the recommended revision:

-- A MP now draws a monthly salary of Rs 4,000. The recommendation is to raise it to Rs 11,900.

-- The constituency allowance is sought to be raised from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

-- The office allowance given to the MP to maintain his own personal office with staff is to be raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

-- The office stationery allowance of Rs 2,500 is proposed to be revised to Rs 3,000 per month.

-- Daily allowance will be increased from Rs 400 to Rs 500 per month. END