CPM condemns minister for refusing hike in PRI members' salary

Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the rural development and panchayati raj minister, Anil Sharma, for refusing to hike the honorarium of members of the panchayati raj institution (PRI).

Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the rural development and panchayati raj minister, Anil Sharma, for refusing to hike the honorarium of members of the panchayati raj institution (PRI).

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“While MLAs and ministers are being provided all the luxuries PRI members are beig deprived of a minor hike,” said Bhupender Singh, CPM district secretary.

He said there are 3,243 pradhans and up-pradhans of gram panchayats, 1,682 panchayat samiti members, 251 zila parishad members and 19,413 ward members in the state and all of them are getting meagre honorarium.

He said that pradhans, up-pradhans and zila parishad members have to travel a lot in their respective areas and approach block and district headquarters frequently and serve better salaries.

He said that the minister wanted the PRI members to do social work by spending from their own pockets on travelling and other daily expenses while solving villagers' problems.

Trashing the minister's proposal to videograph all gram sabha meetings, Sharma said the government should instead spend money on providing sitting arrangements in panchayat bhawans.