SC raps Centre for unclear stand on issue of fixing perks, salaries of sitting MPs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Centre for being unclear in its stand on the issue of fixing perks and salaries of sitting MPs and gave it time till March 6 to give a definitive response.

"Your affidavit doesn't make your stand clear on whether you want a permanent commission for salaries and allowances for MPs," the bench of Justices Jasti Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul said.

However, senior advocate Ajit Sinha submitted that the Centre was considering to set up an independent commission to determine salaries and allowances for sitting MLAs and MPs and would need a week's time to clarify its stand.

"Why the Centre always takes the stand that policy matters should be left for Parliament and not to be decided by the court? The Supreme Court asks the government and says that its order on mandatory disclosure of the source of assets by politicians was welcomed by all political parties despite the Centre's objection," the bench said referring to its recent judgement where the bench ruled that assets and sources of income of politicians and their partners would have to be disclosed when filing for nomination.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by NGO Lok Prahari, which was challenging the Allahabad High Court judgement that dismissed a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments made by the Parliament to the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954.