Update 21.09.20 : Parliament today passes the Salary, Allowances & Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill was recently passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha passed the Salary, Allowances & Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill was earlier passed by Lok Sabha.
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs moved the bills to reduce the salaries and allowances of MPs and sumptuary allowances of Ministers for one year, to supplement the financial resources of the centre to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bill sought to amend , the Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to reduce the salaries of MPs by 30%, the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act, 1952, to reduce the sumptuary allowance of Ministers by 30%, Rules under the 1954 Act to reduce constituency salary, allowance and office expenses allowance of MPs.
The Bills, if they become Acts, will be made effective from April 1, 2020 for a period of one year.
The Bills was largely supported by all Members. However, there was a consistent demand to restore Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
Congress MP Rajeev Satav said that the Government was wrong in suspending the MPLAD scheme without consulting the states. He stressed that the Government should cut unnecessary expenses like the Central Vitsa Project for construction of the new Parliament building. Supporting this line of thought, RJD’s Manoj Jha said that there should be an embargo on the advertisements being aired by the Government to praise their own efforts. He said , that the money saved thereof could be used for public welfare.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Passes Bill To Reduce Salary & Allowances Of MPs For One Year To Meet Pandemic Expenses
DMK’s MP Advocate P. Wilson, who said that the cost spent in passing these Bills to reduce the salaries and allowances was more than the funds that will be saved by the Government in actually cutting MPs salaries and allowances. The Members also spoke against the opaqueness of the PM CARES Fund.
