Varun questions frequent hike in salaries of MPS’
CHANDIGARH: BJP Member Parliament from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh Varun Gandhi has questioned the regular increase in salaries of MPS. “Salaries of MPS have been increased four times in five years. On the other hand, discussion on farmers and their suicides hardly takes place,” Varun, son of Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi, said while addressing an international conference on mountain cities, climate change and urban sustainability at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh, on Monday.
He added the hike in salary was, ironical, considering the fact that the number of sittings of the Lok Sabha had dropped from 140 in 1952 to 58 in 2016.
Citing the example of Britain, he said that an independent authority – Review Body on Senior Salaries – comprising distinguished non-members advise the government on the pay and pensions of MPS. “Such a mechanism, sadly, is lacking in this country,” he added. On governance, he said that in India, governance was rhetoric heavy, but low on policy.
“As an MP for the past eight years, I have not withdrawn any salary. In fact in our political establishment, no one is really accountable to anyone. Also, 61% of bills are approved without any discussion,” he claimed. He went on to add that lawmakers often raised the demand for a salary hike, but forgot that at its first meeting, the Jawaharlal Nehru cabinet had taken a collective decision not to avail salaries for six months in view of the people’s sufferings at the time. Prof RP Bambah, CRRID governing chairman, gave a vote of thanks.