The Delhi Assembly Speaker has been requested to form an expert panel for deciding the revision of salaries and allowances of lawmakers.
With a house divided on the quantum of salary hike for lawmakers, the Delhi assembly has unanimously decided that it is best left to an expert panel. The panel will be constituted by Speaker Ram Niwas Goyal, the government today said.
Last month, some lawmakers of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party said it was time their salaries be hiked. The current remuneration of a legislator, Rs 82,000, was not enough to run their homes and offices, they had said.
Even AAP leader Ashutosh had tweeted:
But another section of leaders, including Sanjay Singh, had objected, saying when poverty was rampant in the country and farmers were being driven to suicide, it was not the time for salary hike.
At a meeting held today, the Committee on Salary & Allowances looked at salaries at various states and decided that the salary and allowances in Delhi are "highly inadequate to meet the basic minimum requirements of an honest and performing Legislator," the statement said.
But the Committee also decided that it would not be appropriate on part of the legislators to decide on the revision in their pay structure on their own.
"This is the first of its kind move by any legislative body in the country where elected representatives voluntarily leave it to an expert panel to decide on revision of their pay and allowances though they are constitutionally entitled to decide the pay revision for themselves," the statement said.
In 2011, the Congress government led by then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had given itself a 100% hike in salary. Their earlier decision of giving themselves a 300% hike had been turned down by the Union home ministry.