Chandigarh, March 26
Despite assurance of the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon to legislators, the Punjab government today failed to introduce a Bill hiking salaries and allowances of legislators and ministers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tikshan Sud told reporters that the government was keen to bring the Bill today, but it had to be delayed on account of some technicalities. The issue did not attract attention of the House on account of two walkouts by the Congress during Zero Hours in both the sessions of the House on its concluding day. Sources indicated that if there is pressure from the legislators and minister to hike salaries and allowances, the government could do the same through an Ordinance.

Though, it is the government that has to table the Bill, Kahlon had indicated that the Bill for enhancing the salaries and perks of the legislators would be tabled in the House on March 26, along with the Bill for hike in salaries of ministers and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries if an approval for the same is received from the Governor.

The sources indicated that both the Bills are required to be taken to the cabinet. Though, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (salaries and allowances of members) Amendment Bill, 2009, that was passed by the Punjab cabinet on December 3 was tabled in the House and later withdrawn, sources said this Bill needs to be taken to the cabinet yet again before being re-introduced in the House. The second Bill pertaining to the salaries and perks of minister and parliamentary secretaries is yet to be taken to the cabinet.

The current session of the House saw a lot of heat on the issue after BJP MLA from Dasuya Amarjit Singh Sahi raised the issue of hiking salaries and allowances of all legislators.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal’s response to Sahi’s question raised a sharp reaction wherein Makhan Singh of the Congress dubbed Manpreet’s reply as an insult to the all MLAs, demanding an apology from the Finance Minister.

The situation was diffused with the intervention of the Speaker, who asked Manpreet Badal to facilitate the hike in salaries and allowances of all legislators and ministers. Though, the Finance Minister assured the Speaker that there would be no hindrance from his side, but due to technical reasons the Bills could not be tabled today.