<p>As the Bhagwanth Mann-led AAP government in Punjab looks to save Rs 80 crore over the next five years by scrapping multiple-term pensions for lawmakers, Karnataka may not consider following suit as the amount involved is too meagre to make any difference. </p>.<p>Every lawmaker in Karnataka gets a pension of Rs 50,000 for completing a 5-year term. For every subsequent term, each lawmaker will get an additional Rs 5,000 per month not exceeding Rs 1 lakh.</p>.<p>Earlier, the legislators used to draw a pension of Rs 40,000 per month. This was hiked in February when both houses of the legislature passed a Bill hiking salaries and other emoluments for lawmakers, which will result in an additional annual expenditure of Rs 67 crore.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has promised rationalisation and re-prioritisation of expenditure. And, scrapping multiple-term pensions will hardly help, according to a senior member of Bommai’s Cabinet. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/cs-led-committee-to-supervise-the-speedy-implementation-of-budget-cm-bommai-1094884.html" target="_blank">CS-led committee to supervise the speedy implementation of Budget: CM Bommai</a></strong></p>.<p>According to the minister, some 200 former lawmakers are currently drawing pensions in Karnataka. A back-of-the-envelope calculation works out to Rs 12 crore per annum taking the revised pension into account.</p>.<p>On whether Karnataka needed rationalisation on the lines of what Punjab has done, the minister said: “What the Punjab government has done is clearly for publicity. When you look at the amount spent on legislators’ pensions in Karnataka, it is not exorbitant in the larger scheme of things.”</p>.<p>Former MLA Vatal Nagaraj said “One cannot assume that all legislators are wealthy. There are several former MLAs who are dependent on the monthly pension in their old age and they have no other source of income. One cannot compare the situation between Punjab and Karnataka as the scenario here is different.” </p>.<p>Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced that legislators will henceforth get pensions only for one term they serve. In Punjab, lawmakers draw a pension of Rs 75,000 per month and for each additional term they get an increment of 66% on the pension amount, much higher than that of Karnataka.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>As the Bhagwanth Mann-led AAP government in Punjab looks to save Rs 80 crore over the next five years by scrapping multiple-term pensions for lawmakers, Karnataka may not consider following suit as the amount involved is too meagre to make any difference. </p>.<p>Every lawmaker in Karnataka gets a pension of Rs 50,000 for completing a 5-year term. For every subsequent term, each lawmaker will get an additional Rs 5,000 per month not exceeding Rs 1 lakh.</p>.<p>Earlier, the legislators used to draw a pension of Rs 40,000 per month. This was hiked in February when both houses of the legislature passed a Bill hiking salaries and other emoluments for lawmakers, which will result in an additional annual expenditure of Rs 67 crore.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has promised rationalisation and re-prioritisation of expenditure. And, scrapping multiple-term pensions will hardly help, according to a senior member of Bommai’s Cabinet. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/cs-led-committee-to-supervise-the-speedy-implementation-of-budget-cm-bommai-1094884.html" target="_blank">CS-led committee to supervise the speedy implementation of Budget: CM Bommai</a></strong></p>.<p>According to the minister, some 200 former lawmakers are currently drawing pensions in Karnataka. A back-of-the-envelope calculation works out to Rs 12 crore per annum taking the revised pension into account.</p>.<p>On whether Karnataka needed rationalisation on the lines of what Punjab has done, the minister said: “What the Punjab government has done is clearly for publicity. When you look at the amount spent on legislators’ pensions in Karnataka, it is not exorbitant in the larger scheme of things.”</p>.<p>Former MLA Vatal Nagaraj said “One cannot assume that all legislators are wealthy. There are several former MLAs who are dependent on the monthly pension in their old age and they have no other source of income. One cannot compare the situation between Punjab and Karnataka as the scenario here is different.” </p>.<p>Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced that legislators will henceforth get pensions only for one term they serve. In Punjab, lawmakers draw a pension of Rs 75,000 per month and for each additional term they get an increment of 66% on the pension amount, much higher than that of Karnataka.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
