AAP MLAS READY TO PAY OWN INCOME TAX, BUT WITH RIDERS

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday asked chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to disband his army of advisers and officers on special duty (OSDs) to cut down expenditure of the government.

Responding to Amarinder and his ministers’ decision to pay their own income tax, leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Sukhpal Khaira said AAP MLAs are also willing to pay their own income tax, provided the Congress government takes genuine austerity measures to save the critical financial situation in the state.

“There are 10 officials currently holding the scale of additional chief secretary, besides dozens of financial commissioners and scores of administrative secretaries, etc. Why should the CM need 19 more people to advise and assist him?” the AAP leader said at a press conference.

Khaira accused the chief minister of making these appointments to adjust his near and dear ones by offering huge largesse at the cost of public exchequer. “The state government is being penny wise and pound foolish. If all MLAs and ministers pay their own income tax, it will save ₹11 crore. Compared to this, the monthly expenditure on 19 advisors and OSDs is ₹11 crore,” he said.

The leader of opposition also raked up heavy expenditure incurred by the CM, ministers, advocate general and advisers to renovate their government houses and expensive lawyers such as P Chidambaram engaged to defend the “appointment of retired IAS officer Suresh Kumar as chief principal secretary.