MPs salary hike- justified or unjustified?

After the Sixth Pay Commission recommending pay bonanza for babus, the Members of Parliament also hoped for heavy pay package but met with disappointment on Thursday when the Union Cabinet on Thursday rejected the proposal on forming an independent pay commission to decide on emoluments and pensions for parliamentarians. The current proposal, though terminated for the time being, once again has raised the moot question of whether MPs salary needs to be increased.

The union cabinet comprising ministers of Congress as well as coalition parties unanimously decided to postpone a final decision on a proposal to set up an independent pay panel to the next Lok Sabha considering it will work after next general elections. Earlier it was thinking to table the amending bill after the resumption of budget session on April 15. Now the parliamentarians have no option, but to wait.

The fresh proposal was laid before the cabinet with the aim of amending the Salary, Allowances, and Pensions of Parliament Act, 1954 to make ways for setting up a permanent body to be called “Emolument Commission” to do the job of fixing the salaries, allowances and pension of MPs.

The committee, as per the proposal, comprising the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Chairperson, Leader of Oppositions was to decide the chairperson and members of the panel. In the proposal it was also mentioned that every five year the institutional mechanism would suggest for hiking the perks of MPs in view of the inflationary trends.

Initially, the proposal regarding the establishment of permanent mechanism for deciding MP’s pay package hike was announced in August 2006 when parliament passed a Bill on enhancing salary and allowances of MPs despite oppositions from the ruling Congress’s ally Left parties.

So far, the Salaries and Allowance Act, 1954 has been amended 27 times since 1954 with the present salary of Rs 16,000 a month amended in 2006 and a constituency allowance of Rs 20,000 a month amended same year in addition to a daily allowance of Rs 1000. The monthly Pension of the MPs has been increased to Rs 6,000. Besides these are Perks, which comprises personal and secretarial staff, free air and rail travel round the year along with a companion and free telephone calls.

In favour of the Parliamentarians it was mentioned in the Article 102 of the Constitution that provides that members shall be entitled “to receive such salaries and allowances as may from time to time be determined by Parliament law.”

The “Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act,” 1954, fixed MPs salary Rs 400 a month along with daily allowance of Rs 21 during sessions.

The Act’s title was changed to “Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act,” 1954 after the ‘right of pension’ included in 1976.

The subsequent years saw the hikes in monthly salary of an MP that rose to Rs.500 in 1964, Rs.750 in 1983, Rs.1,000 in 1985, Rs.1,500 in 1988, Rs.4,000 in 1998, Rs.12,000 in 2001 and to the current scale of Rs 16,000 in 2006.

Correspondingly, the daily allowance was enhanced to Rs31 in 1964, Rs.51 in 1969, Rs.75 in 1983, Rs.150 in 1988, Rs.200 in 1993 (subject to signing the Attendance Register), Rs.400 in 1998, Rs. 500 in 2001 and to the present scale of Rs 1000 in 2006.

Besides salaries and daily allowance, Parliamentarian are also provided traveling allowance, a rent-free flat, free transportation by train, Constituency Allowance (Rs 20,000 amended in 2006), Office Expenses Allowances, pension, free supply of electricity and free telephone calls subject to certain limit.

Interestingly, Left parties never voted against hikes in pay and allowances, though not showed its interest ever too. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister while presented the Bill in the Lok Sabha on August 23, 2006 said, “The MPs are the lowest paid parliamentarians in the world.”

If honestly considered, the MP has enormous onuses and a busy work schedule whether in House or in their constituencies and are required to pay immediate attention whenever a grave situation arises.

In view of their enormous responsibilities and the rising costs of living the increase in pay and the setting up of a separate mechanism cannot be termed unjustified. Unfortunately, people see only their legislator’s income but do not observe their hard work and responsibility, the mental trauma they pass through. At the same time, Parliamentarians are required to serve honestly to their constituencies for the development and pay heed to their elector’s sufferings.

But the hike of such steep salaries and allowances certainly gives a negative impression among the people and establishes greedy nature of MPs. So, considering these points, the cabinet ministers decided not to set up such Commission in hurry as it would further weaken the legislator’s impression already suffering from poor public image in view of the general election just a year ahead.