Contest polls to get MLA’s pension: CM to employees
Protesting staffers should quit their jobs and fight elections if they want benefits of legislators: Jai ram
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday threw a challenge to the state government employees demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme and said that if they want pension on the lines of MLAs, then they should quit their jobs and contest elections.
He was referring to the media reports regarding travelling allowance for MLAs in the assembly on Tuesday. The matter was raised by Congress member Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu through the point of order.
The CM said that people, especially the employees, are making irresponsible comments regarding the pension of MLAs. Thakur said that the government has not yet increased travelling allowance/dearness allowance (TA/ DA) of MLAs. He added that legislators often go outside the state for work and due to this, they can spend up to ₹7,500 for their stay. He said that the previous Congress government had made a provision of ₹ 2.50 lakh TA/DA to the MLAs in a year, which was increased to ₹ 4 lakh by the present government about four years ago. This time, no increase has been made in this allowance.
The CM said that 90% of the MLAs were not availing of the fund and questioned the way the matter was represented in the media.
Earlier, Congress’ Naduan legislator Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of Congress raised the issue and asked the CM to clarify whether the TA/DA limit of MLAs has been increased. He also said that after the implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, the salary of IAS officers has reached ₹3.50 lakhs and doctors has reached ₹3 lakhs. In contrast, the basic salary of MLAs is still only ₹55,000. Congress member Asha Kumari also demanded action from the speaker on the issue. Assembly speaker Vipin Singh Parmar also said that such sensationalism was an attempt to tarnish the image of MLAs.