MPs’ proposed salary cut by half

The government is planning to double the monthly salary of MPs from Rs 16,000 to Rs 35,000. But this is substantially less than the Rs 80,001 hike a joint parliamentary committee had proposed.

The government is planning to double the monthly salary of MPs from Rs 16,000 to Rs 35,000. But this is substantially less than the Rs 80,001 hike a joint parliamentary committee had proposed.

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However, bringing them cheer is a likely hike in daily allowance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for every day that they attend Parliament. Constituency allowance will also double from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. Monthly office allowance will go up from Rs 20,000 to Rs 34,000, short of the Rs 60,000 suggested by the committee.

These proposals are pending with the ministries of law and finance. If cleared, a note will be put up for Cabinet’s approval.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Salaries, Allowances and Pensions, headed by Congressman Charan Das Mahant, had made several other recommendations that have been rejected.

These include raising the number of air trips allowed an MP from 34 to 50, increasing free telephone calls from 1.5 lakh yearly, making available loans of up to Rs 5 lakh at five per cent interest or allowing an MP to travel with a companion instead of a spouse.

The government also didn't seem to concur with the panel's logic that an MP's salary must be at least one rupee more than the salary (of Rs 80,000) of an officer of the rank of secretary, who the MP outranks in the protocol list.

In fact, after the panel submitted its report to the government on May 5, there were indications that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was apprehensive about popular reaction to such a jump in salary. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of the House in Lok Sabha, had refused to be rushed into it and the matter was not taken up in the Cabinet.