MPs want increase in salaries. A committee of MPs has recommended that salaries of MPs should be on par with that of Secretaries of Government of India.
For secretaries the salary is Rs.80,000/- p.m. It is not known what allowances and perks they get apart from salary.
For MPs the salary is Rs.16,000/- p.m. They get a constituency allowance of Rs.20,000/- p.m., daily allowance of Rs.1,000/- when Parliament is in session, free accommodation, phones, water, power, healthcare, railway travel and 34 free single air journey tickets.
MPs have other privileges like recommending two seats in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
One reason given for demand in increase is that MPs rank 21 in the table of precedence and secretaries 23 and therefore salaries of MPs should be more than of secretaries.
All MPs are happy at the prospect of the increase in salaries.
MPs should ask themselves whether they are doing their duties. Parliament disruptions are frequent and many times there are adjournments.
Table of precedence should not have been a consideration in deciding salaries. Since MPs want it that way salaries of MPs should not go up but of secretaries should come down. Before that something should be done about allowances and benefits.
Allowances of MPs should be abolished. Constituency allowance of Rs.20,000/- p.m. should be added to the salary. That makes it Rs.36,000/- p.m.
Daily allowance of Rs.1,000/- when Parliament is in session should be abolished. Instead of that Rs.10,000/- p.m. should be added to the salary. That makes it Rs.46,000/- p.m.
Free accommodation, water, power, healthcare and 34 free single air journey tickets should be abolished. Instead of that Rs.46,000/- should be added to the salary. That makes it Rs.86,000/- p.m.
Now MPs should be happy. They are getting more than secretaries.
MPLADS should be abolished. It began Rs.5,00,00/- p.a. per MP. Now it is Rs.2,00,00,000/- and MPs want it to go up to Rs.10,00,00,000/-.