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.
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Facilities to former Presidents and Prime Ministers
Salaries of MPs
List of Cabinet Ministers
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Pope -a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/pope