<p>The Congress on Saturday said the time was not ripe for doubling the salaries and allowances of Parliamentarians, a proposal already put on hold by the Narendra Modi government.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Rajeev Satav, among others, said Members of Parliament (MPs) should not decide their salaries, and that the task should be handed over to an independent body like the Pay Commission. Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wrote on Twitter: “When farmers are deprived of fair MSP and Jawans of the OROP, it is not the right time to hike salaries/pension for MPs. Instead a transparent mechanism should be explored to determine salaries/pension of MPs (sic)”.<br /><br />A parliamentary panel chaired by BJP Lok Sabha member Yogi Adityanath had proposed a 100 per cent hike in salaries, constituency allowance and office allowance of MPs along with an approximately 75 per cent raise in pension of ex-MPs, apart from facilities for their “companions” in place of “spouses”.<br /><br />However, it is learnt that the Modi government has rejected a majority of the suggestions. Currently, an MP draws a basic salary of Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 each towards constituency allowance and office expenses. Besides, MPs also get daily allowances when Parliament is in session and for attending meetings of Parliamentary panels.<br /><br />Lok Sabha ex-speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been pitching for an independent body to decide salaries and allowances of Parliamentarians. Chatterjee had also written to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh for establishing a separate pay commission for MPs, but the then Council of Ministers had not agreed to the suggestion. Besides, MPs also get free housing in the capital, free electricity and water, coupons for air travel and train travel, health benefits and above all highly subsidised food at the Parliament canteen.<br />Youth Congress ex-president and Lok Sabha member from Hingoli in Maharashtra, Satav said he believed food items at the Parliament canteen should be available at regular prices and the subsidy slashed.<br /><br />The Parliamentary panel had also suggested making provisions for a dedicated budget for the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana as also an increase in the MP quota for admissions to Central schools.</p>
<p>The Congress on Saturday said the time was not ripe for doubling the salaries and allowances of Parliamentarians, a proposal already put on hold by the Narendra Modi government.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Rajeev Satav, among others, said Members of Parliament (MPs) should not decide their salaries, and that the task should be handed over to an independent body like the Pay Commission. Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wrote on Twitter: “When farmers are deprived of fair MSP and Jawans of the OROP, it is not the right time to hike salaries/pension for MPs. Instead a transparent mechanism should be explored to determine salaries/pension of MPs (sic)”.<br /><br />A parliamentary panel chaired by BJP Lok Sabha member Yogi Adityanath had proposed a 100 per cent hike in salaries, constituency allowance and office allowance of MPs along with an approximately 75 per cent raise in pension of ex-MPs, apart from facilities for their “companions” in place of “spouses”.<br /><br />However, it is learnt that the Modi government has rejected a majority of the suggestions. Currently, an MP draws a basic salary of Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 each towards constituency allowance and office expenses. Besides, MPs also get daily allowances when Parliament is in session and for attending meetings of Parliamentary panels.<br /><br />Lok Sabha ex-speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been pitching for an independent body to decide salaries and allowances of Parliamentarians. Chatterjee had also written to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh for establishing a separate pay commission for MPs, but the then Council of Ministers had not agreed to the suggestion. Besides, MPs also get free housing in the capital, free electricity and water, coupons for air travel and train travel, health benefits and above all highly subsidised food at the Parliament canteen.<br />Youth Congress ex-president and Lok Sabha member from Hingoli in Maharashtra, Satav said he believed food items at the Parliament canteen should be available at regular prices and the subsidy slashed.<br /><br />The Parliamentary panel had also suggested making provisions for a dedicated budget for the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana as also an increase in the MP quota for admissions to Central schools.</p>
