Senior Badal says no to pension as ex-MLA: ‘Give it to people of Punjab’

A tweet by SAD, quoting Badal senior, said: “I request Punjab government and Hon’ble Speaker that whatever pension accrues to me as ex-MLA may please be used for the interests of the people of Punjab (Lok hitaan vaaste). It should in no case be sent to me. Formal request in writing being sent separately.”

Another tweet quoting him added: “Education, especially girls education, has always been very close to my heart. I request that my pensionary amount may please be used to help in the education of any needy girl student/students.”

To criticism on the tweets about his announcement, Badal senior, through the SAD account, clarified that he had “never received pension as a former MLA ever”. Badal (94) has been MLA for 11 times and won his first election from Malout seat in 1957. He had won the Gidderbaha seat five times — 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1985.

Thereafter, he switched over to Lambi and won it five times in a row in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. The 2022 Assembly poll was his 13th election, and he lost this time.

He had earlier lost in 1967 from Gidderbaha to Congress’s Harcharan Singh Brar. He aslo remained CM of Punjab for a record 5 times. SAD’s official handle also put out a copy of the letter sent by the former CM to the speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Meanwhile, in his letter written to the speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Badal mentioned, “After the recently conducted elections in Punjab, now I am no longer a member of Vidhan Sabha. With the grace of God, I have received immense love and respect from the people of Punjab throughout my life. Hence, I feel that the real beneficiaries of my pension as an ex-MLA are those needy people of Punjab, who kept me in their hearts forever. Here, I want to make you clear that before this, I never drew any pension from Punjab Vidhan Sabha. It is my humble request that this pension should be used in social welfare projects and for that it should be kept in the treasury itself. I will be satisfied if this amount is used on the education of needy girl student/students. However, I leave this decision on the concerned persons of the government. This is my request that please make me understand the due formalities for the same so that I can fulfill the same, but in any case, this pension should not be sent to me.”

Badal senior’s rivals have been saying saying that Badal had been drawing previous pensions to the tune of Rs 5.5 lakh per month.

About his decision to give up his pension, Charanjit Singh Brar, political advisor to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, said,” I had taken information through RTI on June 23, 2021 which had clearly stated that Punjab’s former CM, who was MLA at that time had not been given any pension in the past as he remained MLA in Vidhan Sabha. He was being given salary as MLA and hence was not eligible to get any pension. Pension is given only to ex-MLAs. As Badal senior never lost elections in the past and hence he was not even eligible for taking any pension. It is surprising to know that people are raising baseless allegations.”

Brar added,”I will request all those who are making allegations against Badal senior should first give up their own pension if they are drawing.”

Monthly salary of any MLA is Rs 85,000 per month while CM draws extra perks. Reacting to Badal’s move, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, the newly elected MLA from Lambi, said,”I welcome this gesture of Badal senior and if more people can follow the suit it will be really appreciable as this money can be used in public.” Bir Devinder Singh, former deputy speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, said,

“The quantum of pension increases with every term. Why realisation only after losing an election, why not earlier. Let him deposit the entire pension he has drawn.” He added,”Last time, when he was an MLA, he showed his face in Vidhan Sabha only once if memory serves me right. Or maybe a few more times, but not regularly. He should return his salary for this term as he made no contribution to the House.”