MLAs give themselves a raise

Defending the bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Mehta said the pay and allowances of MLAs and other functionaries were revised way back in 1992. Since then, the cost of living had increased substantially. He said the government had a responsibility to ensure that the members did not face hardship in discharge of their duty as people’s representatives.

While Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary and all others supported the bill, Mashru felt that the MLAs, having decided to serve the people on their own, should work selflessly. “It would have been better for the image of the BJP had it not brought such a bill,” he said. After registering his views, Mashru left the House.

In his reply, Mehta said most of the increase was in allowances which the members needed for their work as MLAs. Further, even after revision, the emoluments of Gujarat MLAs would be among the lowest paid. He said the government had also abolished the distinction between the emoluments of various functionaries and all of them, including the Chief Minister, would get Rs 11,000 per month.

The bill raises the pay of MLAs from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500, the allowance for postal expenses from Rs 400 to Rs 1,600, telephone allowance from Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,000, the allowance for hiring a personal assistant from Rs 600 to Rs 2,400 and consolidated allowance for other purposes from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500. The daily allowance for attending assembly sessions and committee meetings has been raised from Rs 100 to Rs 150.

The Speaker, ministers, deputy speaker, ministers of state, deputy ministers and the Leader of Opposition will now get a uniform pay of Rs 4,500. Earlier, the Speaker, the ministers and the Leader of Opposition got Rs 2,500, deputy speaker and ministers of state Rs 2,300 and deputy ministers Rs 2,100.

The consolidated allowance of all of them has been raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,500, and conveyance allowance from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000. The Leader of Opposition would also get Rs 500 for postal expenses, as against Rs 200 earlier.

Further, the amendment entitles them, as also the MLAs, to travel by air, along with one person, to any place in the country three times in a year, but they would have to pay the difference between the air fare and the first class train fare. The limit on train travel for all of them, as well as MLAs, has also been increased.