'We have been consistently opposed to the concept of MPs themselves deciding on their own pay structure,' said Sitaram Yechury.
As several MPs in Parliament sought an increase in their salary and allowances, the CPI(M) today said it was not correct for legislators to decide on their own salaries and demanded creation of a separate mechanism for the purpose.
"We have been consistently opposed to the concept of MPs themselves deciding on their own pay structure. That is why we
have withdrawn from the Parliamentary Committee which decides
on this matter," party leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters
here.
Maintaining that CPI(M) has all along been demanding creation of a separate mechanism like the Pay Commission to decide on MPs' pay and allowances, he said "the MPs have to be delinked from deciding their own salaries. They should not be party to any such decision. After all, there is something called normal political morality".
In 2006, the then minister of state for parliamentary affairs had said the government was "willing to accept this proposal and had promised to come back to the house on the issue. But they are yet to do so and are continuing with the same old norm".
Observing that there were various proposals and several international practices in this regard, he said in France four
decades ago, the parliamentarians' pays were "one Franc above
the pay of the highest paid bureaucrat". Britain, Australia and many other countries had similar practices.
Justifying the Pay Commission suggestion, Yechury said the parliamentarians were "the foremost servants of the people" and their pays should be decided in accordance with that of the government servants.
"Why can't the MPs' salaries be linked with some such systemic mechanism", he asked.
Yechury's comments came on a day when several parties protested the Union cabinet's decision to defer a proposal for
a hefty hike in the pay and allowances of MPs.
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