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Journalism of Courage
GANDHINAGAR, July 7: A move is afoot to increase the pay and allowances of members of the Gujarat Assembly. Necessary formalities are likely to be completed in the current assembly session, as the government is “under tremendous pressure” from different parties, a senior minister said.Already, Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary has informally discussed the matter with Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Mehta. Some leaders of the ruling BJP have also broached the subject with the Chief Minister.
Keshubhai Patel is believed to have been told that the pay and allowances of Gujarat MLAs, which were last revised long ago, were the lowest in the country. The chief minister was reportedly sympathetic and had promised to look into the matter.
On Tuesday, Shankerji Thakur of the Congress raised the matter in the House, arguing that the cost of living had gone up substantially since the last revision. Thakur also urged the government to revive the act for giving pension to MLAs, which was passed by the assembly in 1984, was also signed by the Governor, but never implemented. Manubhai Parmar, Congress Deputy Leader in the Assembly, said that Thakur’s suggestion had the party’s backing. The Congress had discussed the matter with other parties also, and “they too favour a revision”, because the last revision took place about five years ago, during the chief ministership of the late Chimanbhai Patel, he said. Parmar said that the pay and allowances of MLAs of almost all assemblies had since been raised. Urvashi Devi, a Congress MLA, complained that their present emoluments were grossly inadequate to meet their expenses as MLAs. “My brother, who is an MLA in UP, draws about Rs 25,000 a month”, she said, adding, “They also have the facility of airtravel”.
But top government sources indicated that the Chief Minister may agree only to “reasonable demands”. A ruling party leader said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister may make a statement in the House next week in response to Thakur’s suggestion. In the meantime, the government may hold discussions with all sides.
Significantly, a minister said the government may simultaneously revise the pay and allowances of ministers, which were also “the lowest in the country”. His pay was “only about Rs 5,000” per month, while the employees on his personal staff got more, the minister said. Similar was the case with the pay and allowances of the Speaker, he added.
Any revision in the pay and allowances of MLAs in Gujarat is made on the recommendations of an all-party committee, constituted by the Speaker for this purpose. The committee’s recommendations have to be adopted by the House by passing a resolution. Of course, the House can modify the recommendations.
The last assembly had constituted such a committee and it also submitted its report. But the House was dissolved before it could consider the report. Therefore, a new committee will have to be constituted. However, in order to save time, the new committee may adopt the recommendations of the last committee, which had examined the matter in detail, an officer said.
Members of the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha get a salary of Rs 750, a telephone allowance of Rs 1,200, Rs 600 for hiring a personal assistant, Rs 400 for postal expenses and a consolidated Rs 750 for facilities not covered by rules. They also get a daily allowance of Rs 100 for attending the session and committee meetings.
On the other hand, their counterparts in neighbouring Maharashtra get a salary of Rs 1,500, a telephone allowance of Rs 4,500, Rs 2,500 for hiring a personal assistant, Rs 2,000 for postal expenses, a consolidated allowance of Rs 1,500, and a daily allowance of Rs 200. They also get a pension of Rs 1,500 per month.
