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| Government of legislators, by legislators and for legislators | | Salary Hike Is Their Right | |
MINCING NO WORDS
NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 30: Who says we have in the State of Jammu and Kashmir a system of government that is of the people, by the people and for the people? Those who say so are blissfully ignorant. They are living in a fool’s paradise. They do not know what democracy means in the State. The democracy in Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t mean the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Democracy in our state literally means a system of government that is of the ministers and legislators, by the ministers and legislators and for the ministers and legislators. Another truth is that the legislators representing all the political parties in the legislature, both occupying the treasury and opposition benches, take no time in rising above all considerations, forgetting all of their differences and makeing common cause with one another in order to loot and fleece the poor taxpayer.
How else should one describe the manner in which the government effected nearly two-fold hike in the salaries and allowances of legislators, ministers and the State Governor. The rulers cited the reason of price hike of all the essential commodities and substantial increase in the lost of living. Yes, two legislators from Kashmir Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI-M and Abdul Rashid Engineer (independent) did question the decision, but they did it only for what a reporter called “record sake.” The most striking aspect of the whole debate on the issue of salary hike was that legislator after legislator projected himself as a “poor law-maker.”
As per the decision, which could be described as a unanimous decision, each legislator, minister of state and deputy minister will get Rs 80,000 as salary and allowances every month, as against the existing salary and allowances of Rs 40,3000 for a legislator and Rs 40,000 for minister of state and deputy minister. As for chief minister, he will get Rs 90,000 as salary and allowances, as against existing rate of Rs 45,000. The cabinet minister will get Rs 85,000 as salary and other allowances, as against the existing rate of Rs 40,000.
Who says Jammu and Kashmir is financially bankrupt? It is not bankrupt. It has enough money in the exchequer – money collected from the poor people, including the government employees, barring bureaucrats and other high officials holding positions with considerable funds. The government has the money but it is not meant for the suffering people. Nor is it for paying arrears to the poor and agitating government employees. Nor is this money meant for the poor and starving pensioners who have been moving heaven and earth since years in order to attract the attention of the government to their miserable plight. Nor is this money meant for the poor daily wager working with the PHE Department whose monthly salary is not even Rs 1,000. Nor is this money meant for meeting the healthcare, educational and other social needs of the poor taxpayers.
The fact is that the money is there but it is basically meant for the poor ministers and poor law-makers who have been provided official accommodation both in Jammu and Srinagar, provided official vehicles which ply with the help of the officially-provided fuel, provided loans on easy terms, provided a foolproof security cover and what not. Common people must not look towards these poor ministers and legislators for getting their hardships mitigated. How could the ministers and legislators mitigate their hardships when they themselves are living from hand to mouth and leading wretched life? One would cross the line if one asks the poor rulers to cater to the needs of the taxpayers. It would be only appropriate if the poor taxpayers give some more time to the poor rulers to overcome their financial problems. They must remember that their life is not one of political and economic aspiration. Their only duty is to feed the rulers they themselves elect periodically.
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