The other day NDTV news channel showed that a Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament has recommended 100% raise in MPs pay package and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nod will seal the deal.

The Committee’s justification for recommendation for this raise is that this is being done after six long years. What a cruel joke!  In 2011 the Planning Commission of UPA II Government headed by Manmohan Singh, had the temerity to define Poverty Line with the cut-off mark of per capita expenditure of Rs 32 per day in urban areas and Rs 26 in rural areas. Can Manmohan Singh or Sonia Gandhi or any MP live on Rs 32 per day when the poor man’s pulses alone are touching Rs 200/- per kg?

All the MPs cutting across party lines (on this there is total symphony – no holding up of the parliament for days on end!) are waiting in bated breath for a double pay hike to Rs 2.80 Lac per month in basic pay – add to this other allowances! On the other hand just take a look at the dichotomy and utter hypocrisy of defining Poverty Line.

Why don’t the MPs instead of clamouring for 100% hike, learn to live at Rs 32/- allowance per day in urban areas and Rs 26 in rural areas?  Also were they mandated by the Electorate to recommend increase in their own salaries? Was it mentioned in their Election Manifesto? Just look at the irony.  The Joint Committee is headed by none other than BJP MP Yogi Adityanath!  What is the self-professed minority-baiter yogi doing in the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament?

It only means that the Yogi has turned into a Bhogi who recommended additional perquisites like former MPs to be entitled to diplomatic passport and having access to VIP lounges at airports, the word  “spouse”  to be  replaced with “companion” to accompany MPs in AC First Class train travel, increasing free air tickets between sessions for MPs from 34 to 43 and travel allowance during sessions –75% of which have reportedly been turned down by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

The Electorate voted their representatives to the seat of power to SERVE THE PEOPLE AND TO SEE TO THE `COMMON GOOD' (which our Pope repeatedly drums into the head of our Cardinals, Bishops and Parish Priests) and certainly not to recommend their own pay hike at the taxpayers’ expense.  Like the private sector, MPs – who most of the time bring the parliament to a standstill for days – pay hike should be performance-based, and recommended by non-political accredited HRD organisation / management consultancy firms as is done by BOSE, US-based World’s topmost electronic brand and other most world-renowned organisations.

Highlights

1. Basic salary to jump from Rs. 50,000 to a lakh

2. Two major allowances to double to Rs. 90,000 each

3. 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).

4. 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.

5. The monthly pensions for former MPs will rise from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 35,000.

6. The new salaries will be effective from April 1.

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. “Government salaries have been increased,  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.”

Reportedly the PMO is against lawmakers’ salary hike by the MPs, for the MPs.  Prime Minister Modi favoured the salaries of lawmakers being linked to a certain post, instead of bringing a bill each time to be passed by MPs themselves, the sources said. While this has been Modi’s view, the PMO was yet to give a formal opinion on the recent proposal for a 100% increase in MPs salaries. The last word was yet to be said on the recommendations, they said.  Let us hope good sense and King Solomon's wisdom dawns on our Prime Minister.