House panel against govt proposal

A parliamentary panel consisting of several MPs across party lines is learnt to have strongly objected to the government’s proposal to set up a committee to consider the proposal of a considerable hike in lawmakers’ salaries and perks. The MPs’ point is that no other committee should overrule the authority of a parliamentary panel.

In a recent meeting of the joint committee on salaries and allowances of members of Parliament, which is headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, several lawmakers expressed strong views against the government’s proposal to set up a three- member emoluments commission to consider salary hikes for MPs.

Sources aware of the development told this newspaper that a general consensus among the MPs was that when a parliamentary panel is already in place, then why should another committee be formed to look into the matter.

They said that the parliamentary affairs ministry had suggested setting up of a panel to look into the issue of hiking MPs’ salaries and other perks.

This proposal has been objected to by the parliamentary panel, sources informed.

The Centre had in September last proposed to constitute a three- member emoluments commission to determine salary and allowances of members of Parliament and it was endorsed at the twoday all- India whips conference on September 29 and 30, 2015.

The proposal had come in the backdrop of a controversy over the parliamentary panel’s recommendations in June last to double the pay and perks of lawmakers.

The joint parliamentary committee, in its meetings in May and July last year, had opined that there was a need for an independent system/ mechanism for review of salary and allowances of MPs.

The committee had suggested that while considering enhancement of salary, parameters like inflation and hike in the salary of government officials should be taken into consideration.

An MP gets a salary of ` 50,000 per month. In addition, ` 2,000 per day is paid as allowance when an MP signs the register while attending Parliament sessions or House committee meetings.

An MP is also entitled to ` 45,000 constituency allowance every month — ` 15,000 for stationery and ` 30,000 to employ secretarial assistance staff.