Its heartening to see people speaking against the proposed hike in the traveling allowance of ministers including speaker and MLAs by Jai Ram Govt in Himachal. Its most unfortunate that our representatives' lust for comforts and luxuries are insatiable and they want to live in royal style.
A bill has been tabled in the house and in all likelihood will be unanimously passed on Friday. Most of us are red faced over the move for the obvious reasons. A state financially almost bankrupt and living on borrowing can hardly afford luxuries by people's representative. The fresh move is expected to put additional Rs. 2.20 crore burden on state exchequer. Sadly, it hardly matters to our ministers and lawmakers. All they want is more and more luxuries, comforts, fat salary and pension. In the last six years lawmakers have gifted themselves more than 200 percent hike.
Just three years back in April, 2016, Law makers gave themselves 100 percent hike in salary and raised it from Rs 90,000 to Rs 145,000. The monthly salary of the chief minister was raised from Rs 95,000 to Rs 190,000 and that of a cabinet minister from Rs 80,000 to Rs 145,000.
The salaries and allowances of MLAs have been increased from Rs 1.32 lakh to Rs 2.10 lakh per month while the daily allowance has been raised from Rs 1500 to Rs 1800 and the limit of free travel by rail or air from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh per annum.
The salary of MLAs has been enhanced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 55,000, Constituency allowance from Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000, Office allowance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 and computer data entry operator allowance from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000.
The basic pension of former MLAs has also been increased from Rs 22,000 to Rs 36,000 while the increase in pension per year after completion of first term would be Rs 1000 in place of Rs 500 at present. This hike in salary and allowances of ministers and law makers had put an additional expenditure of over Rs 16 crore per annum.
Earlier in December, 2013 lawmakers gave themselves and ministers as much as 60 per cent hike in salaries.Then the salary of chief minister was raised from Rs 39, 000 to Rs 65,000, cabinet ministers from Rs 36,000 to Rs 50, 000, minister of state from Rs 33,000 to Rs 48,000 and that of deputy minister from Rs 32,000 to Rs 45,000 per month. This hike in the salaries and allowances of ministers had put an additional annual burden of Rs 5.49 crore on the state exchequer.
The monthly salary of MLAs was hiked from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 in addition to hike in constituency allowance increase from Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000 and office allowance from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 per month. With this hike the take home monthly salary of MLAs stood at s 1.15 lakh. It was Rs 70,000 earlier.
Not only this. the government also hiked the pension of former MLAs from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000 per month. As far as I remember correctly, the bill to raise salaries was passed within 10 minutes. The opposition leaders and MLAs did not speak a word against the bill.
And the latest move of the govt is to hike the travel emoluments of ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and legislators by tabling three Bills in the current session of the Vidhan Sabha. And of passed, it will put an additional annual burden of Rs 2.20 crore on the exchequer. Our representatives will say, "Its a small amount for big work". We all congrats them what if are representatives' comforts and luxuries are met by borrowing and people will have to pay. Hats off to them.