MPs seek a pay panel- like body for regular hikes
New Delhi, Feb. 10: Members of a parliamentary panel on Wednesday pushed for the establishment of a “permanent mechanism” on the lines of the Pay Commission to ensure that salaries and allowances of MPs are raised on a regular basis.
At a meeting of the joint committee on salaries and allowances of members of Parliament here, its members are learnt to have told the government that there is an urgent need to constitute a “permanent mechanism at the earliest” for review of the salary and allowances of parliamentarians.
The government was represented by officials of the ministry of parliamentary affairs.
Some members are also learnt to have sought a clarification on reports that a parliamentary affairs ministry proposal to hike the basic salary of MPs from ` 50,000 to ` 1 lakh is pending with the finance ministry.
The proposal also suggests that basic pension should be raised from ` 20,000 per month to ` 35,000.
The committee also reminded the ministry of its recommendation to hike the monetary ceiling for furniture at MPs’ residence from the present ` 75,000 to ` 1.50 lakh — ` 1.20 lakh for durable and another ` 30,000 for non- durable furniture.
The parliamentary affairs minister had earlier rejected most of the proposals made by the committee.
An MP gets a salary of ` 50,000 per month. In addition, ` 2,000 per day is paid as daily allowance when the MP signs the register while attending Parliament sessions or House committee meetings. The MP is entitled to ` 45,000 constituency allowance every month -— ` 15,000 for stationery and ` 30,000 to employ secretarial assistance staff.
MPs are also entitled to government accommodation, air travel and train travel facilities, besides three landline telephone connections and two mobile phones.
They also get a loan of ` 4 lakh to buy a vehicle.
Amid demands that MPs should not be allowed to decide their salaries, the government had in September proposed to set up a three- member panel to recommend pay and perks of lawmakers.