| Govt of MLAs, by MLAs and for MLAs | | Pauper State, Rich Lawmakers | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 15: Who says Jammu and Kashmir is a poor State? Who says the State exchequer is empty? Who says democracy means Government of the people, by the people and for the people? Jammu and Kashmir is not a poor State. It is one of the richest States in the country. Courtesy: the Indian political class and the powers-that-be in the New Delhi's South Block and North Block which houses offices of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The State exchequer is not empty. And as for democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, it means Government of MLAs, by MLAs and for MLAs. And as for the State exchequer, it has more than enough money for our representatives belonging to all political formations.
It may appear unbelievable, but it is a fact that the salaries of our representatives in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council have been increased by nearly five times during the past six years. Their travelling allowance has also been hiked by almost one hundred per cent and their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by almost 200 per cent since "last year". According to the available information, the salary of a lawmaker in 2006 was Rs 15,000 per month, which was raised to Rs 45000 the same year. In 2012, it was further raised to the tune of Rs 80,300. In other words, the salary of each lawmaker was hiked by more than five times. As far as the monthly salaries of Chief Minister and Cabinet Ministers were concerned, the salary of the former was increased from Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,300 and that of each Cabinet Minister from Rs 40,300 to Rs 85,300 per month. And as far as the monthly salary of each Minister of State was concerned, it was increased from Rs 40,300 to Rs 80,300. It happened last year and the revised salary structure for Ministers, MLAs and MLCs was implemented retrospectively. It was implemented with effect from September 1, 2009. As a result, each lawmaker got arrears to the tune of Rs 7.2 lakh. In other words, the revised salary structure cost the State exchequer Rs 10 crore, which means the salary bill of our representatives in the State legislature now is to the tune of Rs 1.34 crore per month.
As for daily allowance, each lawmaker gets Rs 1000 DA per day when he/she attends the Legislative Assembly/ Legislative Council during the session. Not only this, he/she not only gets DA at the rate of Rs 1000 per day for each day of the session of the legislature or meeting, but is also entitled to "an additional Rs 2000 DA for each meeting (Rs 1000 for previous day and Rs 1000 for the next day of the meeting)". In other words, a lawmaker gets Rs 3000 DA for each meeting. As for travel allowance, a lawmaker and his/her spouse are "entitled to full reimbursement of air/rail travel with the country, along with 25 per cent surcharge". To be more precise, if a lawmaker buys a ticket for Rs 10,000, he/she will get Rs 12,500, including Rs 2500 surcharge as reimbursement from the Government.
Other privileges our each lawmaker enjoys include full reimbursement of expanses incurred on any kind of treatment, subsidized accommodation both in Jammu and Srinagar, housing loan to the tune of Rs 5 lakh each @ 4 per cent interest to be repaid in 72 installments, constituency development fund to the tune of Rs 1.50 crore per annum and approximately Rs 10,000 per month for secretarial assistance, including Rs 5,000 salary for the personal assistant. Besides, each lawmaker, besides being entitled to lifelong pension of Rs 23,000 per month even of he/she serves as a legislator for two years, also gets around Rs 10,000 per month for secretarial assistance, including Rs 5,000 salary for the personal assistant. |
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