MPs sulk even after huge pay hike

New Delhi: Any doubts about whether MPs are looking to roll out a sumptuous spread for themselves by way of salary hikes were put to rest with Lok Sabha prevented from functioning on Friday with SP  and RJD chiefs Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad leading the chorus.  The low drama in Lok Sabha reached the bottom of the well when protesting MPs refused to leave the House at 2.10 pm.After the House was adjourned following disruptions with MPs demanding their salaries be raised to Rs 80,000 at par with the cabinet secretary instead of Rs 50,000 cleared by the Cabinet on Friday morning,they refused to vacate the well.

Squatting in the well,the MPs held a mock Parliament ostensibly to protest the bill amending the MCI Act being passed amid the din.In this,the RJD and SP lot was joined by BJP and soon Lalu and Mulayam were declared joint prime minister.BJP leader Gopinath Munde was Speaker and MPs even occupied the chairs used by Lok Sabha officials.While Lok Sabha was held to ransom by SP,RJD,Shiv Sena,Shiromani Akali Dal and a few independent MPs mulling around the well shouting tanashahi nahi chalegi,MCI bill was voted in the bedlam.It was ironic that the legislation necessitated by arrest of MCI chief Ketan Desai in a corruption case was voted on while MPs demanded more pay.

This despite the raise cleared by cabinet being far from unsubstantial.Apart from a salary of Rs 50,000,both constituency and office allowances will be raised to Rs 40,000 each from Rs 20,000 at present.Though these allowances are against expenses,MPs will be be able to draw Rs 1,30,000 a month,which is much more than what the cabinet secretary gets at Rs 80,000 a month.Apart from perks like free air,rail and steamer travel,MPs get free housing if they live in flats in Delhis green and plush Lutyens zone.If they are entitled to bungalows,they pay a nominal licence fee.As TOI estimated in a report on October 16,2005,a Lutyens zone bungalow is worth about Rs 100 crore on an average.

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(source-toi)