The Hindu : New Delhi News : Move on to raise MLAs' pay

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 05, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Move on to raise MLAs' pay

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI: Efforts have once again been revived to ensure that the 70 members of the Delhi Assembly return home every month with fatter pay packets. The Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, held a half-hour meeting with the Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, over the issue on Wednesday afternoon.

A month ago Dr. Walia had forwarded a note to Ms Dikshit on the matter after a committee headed by him had recommended that the pay of the MLAs be increased as the representatives of the people were among the worst paid.

It had been proposed that the all-inclusive monthly salary be increased from Rs 16,500 per month to Rs 35,000 per month and the conveyance allowance be increased from Rs 35,000 per year to Rs 50,000 per year. As for the telephone reimbursements, status quo was to be maintained, restricting the limit to Rs 5,000 per month.

However, the taking up of the issue at this stage is being seen by most as efforts by Ms Dikshit to appease all the MLAs. Under attack from both the Opposition as also her own party MLAs, the Chief Minister has been on the lookout for ways to assuage the hurt feelings of the legislators.

"Before the last Assembly elections, Ms Dikshit had announced that the pay revision would be done as soon as the results are declared and the new Government is formed. But that did not happen and it was said that the pay would be increased once the Committee makes its recommendations. But even then there was no indication from the Government to show that it was keen on keeping its word,'' said a legislator.

Now that the party leadership wants to keep its flock in hold, it is trying to push forth the move which would cost the exchequer nearly Rs 1.65 crores more as now the Government would be spending around Rs 5.30 lakhs per annum on each MLA as against a sum of Rs 2.93 lakhs earlier.

The move has however made most of the legislators happy. One of them said it was a step in the right direction as recent surveys have shown that despite the cost of living in Delhi being the highest in the country, the MLAs here draw the least salary. "This a longstanding demand which should be met. It is another matter though that the circumstances under which the motion is now being pushed forth have changed.''

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