Perched high on pay-perk ladder, they want more

Legislators don't seem to be content, want pvt club memberships

Legislators may be trying to get membership in private clubs and associations, but they already have blessed themselves with a number of allowances, perks, facilities and a fully furnished family flat.

Each of the 300 legislators (225 members in Legislative Assembly and 75 in Legislative Council) gets a fixed salary of Rs 25,000 per month. They also get various allowances including telephone charges, postal charges, salary for personal assistant among others (see chart).

The total fixed salary and allowances add up to Rs 1.4 lakh per month. The latest hike was effected in March this year when legislators voted for a substantial increase in salary and allowances for themselves. Ministers get higher salary and allowances compared to legislators.

Then come the variables and here lies the story. Each legislator gets a daily allowance for attending meetings (fixed at Rs 2,000 per day within the State and Rs 2,500 outside the State) and also travelling allowance of Rs 25 per km for attending the meetings.

Each legislator will be a member of at least one of the 15 legislature committees (on Public Accounts, on Public Undertakings, on Estimates, etc.). The committees meet once every week in Bengaluru. Besides, the fixed Rs 2,000 for attending the meeting, a legislator, say from Bidar, can claim between Rs 17,000 and 18,000 as allowance for travelling from his or her constituency to Bengaluru to attend each meeting (distance between Bengaluru and Bidar is 687 km by road and 724 km by train). Of course, nearer the constituency of the legislator to Bengaluru, lesser will be the travelling allowance.

Each legislator is entitled to a fully furnished family flat at Legislators Home adjacent to Vidhana Soudha at a rent of a mere Rs 300 per month. All members and their families get full reimbursement for medical expenses incurred.

Every legislator is entitled for Rs two lakh per year for travelling either single or with companion by air or rail anywhere in India. The legislators are entitled to advance of Rs 15 lakh for purchase of a motor car on an interest of seven per cent during their tenure. The entire amount outstanding is waived in the event of death of the legislator. The legislators are entitled for reimbursement of Rs one lakh per ear for hearing-aid, Rs 50,000 for denture and Rs 10,000 for root canal with cap. There is more. The legislature committee can go on an all-expenses paid “study tour” twice anywhere in India or one foreign junket during a term. And now, our legislators want membership in private clubs.