Highlights
- Basic salary to jump from Rs 50,000 to a lakh
- Two major allowances to double to Rs 90,000 each
- MPs gearing up to clear raise in this Parliament session
The nearly 800 members of Parliament are within finishing line of a 100% raise with their basic pay jumping from Rs 50,000 to a lakh a month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to decide whether to sign off on the new salaries and allowances recommended first by a committee of MPs, and now sanctioned by a group of ministers and submitted to the Cabinet.
If PM Modi sanctions the changes, Parliament is likely to clear the proposal in this session, which began today and ends on August 5. The new salaries will be effective from April 1.
The monthly salary for an MP will double to a lakh. Other 100% fillips: the constituency allowance, meant to facilitate the lawmaker's travel and other expenses in covering his constituency will shoot up to Rs 90,000 a month, ditto for the salaries of office staff of MPs.
An annual furniture allowance for MPs' official homes will double to 1,50,000 a year and free broadband worth Rs 1,700 per month will be provided at parliamentarians' official homes in their constituencies.
The monthly pensions for former MPs will rise from Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000.
The basic compensation for a lawmaker will climb from Rs 1,90,000 per month to 2,80,000 (salary along with constituency and office staff allowances).
India's parliamentarians last had their salaries revised six years ago.
Some lawmakers agree with critics who feel lawmakers should not have the right to grant themselves increments.
"I am against this increase. We are working here for the service of the people, and what we get is sufficient," said Prasun Benerjee of the Trinamool Congress. "We are clear the increase should not be decided by us, but an independent body," said M Rajesh of the CPM.
But for the most part, lawmakers are concordant on whether the new salaries are warranted, particularly because jut weeks ago, the government cleared a nearly 25% raise for bureaucrats, with the new parameters offering better entry-level salaries than the private sector.
"Government salaries have been increased, MPs' salaries should be increased too ," said Jagdambika Pal of the ruling BJP, while K Ranmohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party is convinced "This will end corruption with a proper salary."