Tag: mp

Parliament Paralysis

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Since 23/11/2011 Parliament is disrupted day after day. MPs do not do work. There is talk of no work, no pay for MPs. No MP has openly opposed it but opposition MPs blame government for disruption and vice versa. Some say cutting 2,000 rupees of daily allowance will not make a difference to MPs as they have other sources and resources.

There are two points. First, it is immaterial whether cutting 2,000 rupees of daily allowance makes a difference to MPs or not. Parliament did not function and they should not get daily allowance.

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Bureaucrats and freebies

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Bureaucrats decide what freebies they should get when they are in service and after retirement. This leads to unjustified entitlements.

Air India survives on bail out money. Civil Aviation Ministry’s decision to grant free ticket upgrades and security passes and access to VIP lounges to former secretaries and their family members is an unjustified decision. The argument that it is a justifiable privilege considering the contribution made by secretaries is hollow. Secretaries are paid for their job and get pension after retirement. They did not do any favour or charity. Considering that Air India survives on bail out money if there is any contribution by secretaries it is in ruining the airline and turning airline’s profit into loss. It is another question whether our airports should have VIP lounges. In a democracy when all are equal how can anyone be a VIP? . . .

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The world is not enough for MPs

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

The cabinet decided to increase MPs’ salaries from Rs.16,000/- to Rs.50,000/- p.m. and double some allowances. Many MPs want more. They want Rs.80,000/- p.m. Very few MPs like Gurudas Dasgupta have opposed pay hike for MPs. He said MPs are not employees and those who can not afford should not become MPs.

The decision to increase MPs’ salaries from Rs.16,000/- to Rs.50,000/- p.m. was itself unjustified. They get many allowances and when everything is considered they are well paid.

If MPs want Rs.80,000/- p.m. because Government Secretaries get Rs.80,000/- p.m. there should be compulsory retirement for MPs when they become 60 years old. In a previous article I had written about MPs’ salaries.

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Salaries of MPs

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

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.

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