Tag: mps

Parliament Paralysis

India
Comments

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.

Second, besides daily allowance there should be cuts in salary and other allowances. An MP’s salary is Rs.50,000 p.m., constituency allowance Rs.45,000 p.m., office allowance Rs.45,000 p.m. and there are other allowances and perks. For every day besides cut of 2,000 rupees of daily allowance there should be cut of 1,700 rupees from salary, 1,500 rupees from constituency allowance, 1,500 rupees from office allowance and so on. People do not lose money however rich they are. When Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays come in between they also should be counted. If a whole session is disrupted MPs should not get travelling allowance for the session.

Presiding officers should not adjourn houses. If the noise is too much they should put on ear plugs and sit. MPs who disrupt should be suspended for at least three days and marshals should be used to carry out those who do want to leave the house. That was the practice before and last year it was done in Rajya Sabha on 9/3/2010. Many years ago Raj Narayan was a heavyweight MP and marshals had a tough time to take him out.

Some say MPs do other work outside Parliament. When Parliament is in session MPs are supposed to attend Parliament and the work they do outside does not count.

India should switch over to presidential system. India has many political parties and parliamentary system which works best in effective two-party system is not suited for India.

The world is not enough for MPs

India
Comments

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.

Some people have come to the defence of MPs. The reasons do not justify the increase.

1) A conscientious MP sends out nearly 500 letters per day with each stamp costing Rs.5/-. -Who are those MPs?

2) Salary is not enough for providing endless cups of tea and snacks for visitors. – What do you mean by endless? How many visitors come and how much money is spent?

3) MPs have to attend weddings and pay at least Rs.501/-. – This is a personal matter. Taxpayer should not pay for an MP attending a wedding.

4) MPs can decide salary for themselves as IAS got itself a sweet deal. – IAS decided salary for itself and others. IPS and Armed Forces are unhappy about what IAS did.

5) Some Drivers get more than Rs.16,000/- p.m. – MPs get many allowances and perks which drivers do not get. MPs get daily allowance if they sign the register even though they do not attend Parliament. Driver has to do his work. MPs get salaries even if they do not do anything or worse still if they disrupt Parliament.

Most MPs are rich, 315 of them are crorepatis. For elections they spend lot of money, many times more than Rs.25,00,000/- per candidate apart from the amount spent by party or others.

MPs get what they want. Sportspersons like hockey players, rifle shooters, tennis players have to go on strike to get their dues.

MPs get enough for their need, not for their greed. The world is not enough for MPs.

Army is called for everything, even for Commonwealth Games. Jaipal Reddy, Urban Development Minister, has written to A. K. Antony, Defence Minister, that army has to do everything free and will not get Rs.11 crores for its duty in the games. Thousands of crores of rupees are spent on Commonwealth Games and can not pay Rs.11 crores! If the army takes over the country and abolishes Parliament no tears will be shed for MPs.

Related Posts:
Facilities to former Presidents and Prime Ministers
Salaries of MPs
List of Cabinet Ministers

King – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/king
Pope -a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/pope

Defence by MPs of their demands

India, World
Comments

MPs have come out with defence of their demands for increase in salary and benefits.
In my previous article I had proposed that salaries of MPs be made Rs.86,000/- p.m. and their allowances and benefits be abolished and I stick to that.
There are two types of MPs: Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha MPs. Some reasons given for increase in salary and benefits do not apply to Rajya Sabha MPs.
Let us examine the reasons given by MPs.

1) MPs are engaged in full-time constituency and parliamentary work.
On most occasions the attendance rate in Parliament is around 10% or less. Instead of debate and discussions, we find MPs engaged in disruptions and walk outs. Many bills are passed without discussions and during commotions.

2) Often MPs have no other source of income.
MPs fight elections. For that they spend money. Legal limit is 25 lakh rupees. How do MPs get money to fight elections? How many MPs have no other source of income? What were they doing before they became MPs? What do they do when they lose elections?

3) MPs of other countries get more.
In the currency of the country the amount is not much. In rupee terms what an American Congressman gets may be 77.50 lakhs per year but in his country it is 1.55 lakh dollars per year. In rupee terms what a British MP gets may be 44.39 lakhs per year but in his country it is 52,000 pounds per year. Similar is the case with MPs of Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. An Indian MP who gets Rs.1.92 lakhs per year is better paid in local currency than those MPs.

4) In India a parliamentary constituency has around 16 lakh voters. In Europe it is around 30,000 voters.
In India there are state governments and legislative assemblies. European countries mostly do not have legislative assemblies.

5) Prices have gone up during the last six years.
What have the MPs done to prevent price rise? In demanding increase in salary and benefits all MPs are united. Where is the unity against price rise? Prices have almost doubled. MPs want five times of what they are getting now. Where is the proportion?
The value of rupee has gone down nationally and internationally. Why have the MPs remained silent when RBI has consistently devalued rupee to favour vested interests? RBI continues to devalue rupee.

6) MPs get many visitors, attend many functions
If the salary is Rs.86,000/- as I have suggested this is taken care of.

7) Need of assistant
MPs are given Rs.20,000/- as constituency allowance and they want it increased to Rs.60,000/- to pay an assistant and cover office expenses. MPs should use laptops. No need to hire a secretary/assistant.

8) Comparison with others

One does not become government secretary or DGP overnight. To reach that position one has to have necessary qualifications and put many years of service. They have retirement age.
Clerks, peons and constables get annual increments. When they reach retirement age their salary will be much higher than someone who has joined in a similar capacity.
If MPs want equality they should see that others do not get what they do not get. If government secretaries and some others were exempt from paying toll that exemption should have been abolished instead of exempting MPs and MLAs from paying toll.
MPs get pension irrespective of the time one was an MP. This pension should be abolished.
Link to e-book King – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/king
Link to e-book Pope – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/pope