A joint committee on salaries and allowances of MPs have recommended increase in salary from Rs50,000 to Rs one lakh.
A proposal to double the salaries of parliamentarians is hanging fire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to be averse, in principle, to the idea of MPs giving themselves a raise, according to highly placed sources.
Modi favoured the salaries of lawmakers being linked to a certain post, instead of bringing a bill each time to be passed by MPs themselves, the sources said. While this has been Modi's view, the PMO was yet to give a formal opinion on the recent proposal for a 100% increase in MPs salaries. The last word was yet to be said on the recommendations, they said.
A joint committee on salaries and allowances of MPs have recommended increase in salary from Rs50,000 to Rs one lakh. It has also proposed increasing constituency allowance and secretarial assistance allowance from Rs45,000 to Rs90,000 each. This would mean a total increase in the pay and two allowances of the parliamentarians to Rs2.80 lakh from Rs1.40 lakh.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary affairs ministry is likely to circulate a cabinet note on the MPs salary increase after the ongoing budget session, ministry sources said. The note will be forwarded to various ministries and views will be sought particularly from finance ministry and law ministry besides the PMO and Cabinet secretary. The proposal on the salary of MPs, which was last raised in 2010, is likely to be finalised only in the next session, they said.
The ongoing session coincides with elections in five states. A bill to raise salaries of MPs generally witnesses smooth passage in both houses cutting across party lines, sparking off a public debate questioning such a practice. Some parliamentarians, particularly those from the Left, had recommended that an independent body be set up to decide on their salaries, pensions and perks.
The parliamentary panel, headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, had also suggested raising the pension of MPs from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. However, the parliamentary affairs ministry had turned down several of its recommendations, including raise in daily allowance from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000. The ministry has rejected nearly 75% of the 60 proposals made by the panel on perks and allowances, including providing canteen facilities on the lines of defence personnel, fourth of travel fare as incidentals, former MPs to be entitled to diplomatic passport and having access to VIP lounges at airports, the word "spouse" to be replaced with "companion" to accompany MPs in AC First Class train travel, increasing free air tickets between sessions for MPs from 34 to 43 and travel allowance during sessions.
At present, revision in salaries and pensions of MPs is done through a legislation while perks and other allowances can be changed through a notification.
Raise pension: Panel
The parliamentary panel, headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, had also suggested raising the pension of MPs from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. However, the parliamentary affairs ministry had turned down several of its recommendations, including raise in daily allowance from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.
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