M A I N   N E W S

Haryana MLAs give themselves Rs  20k hike
Yoginder Gupta/TNS

28 MLAs suspended Amidst acrimonious scenes on the concluding day of the monsoon session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, which saw three adjournments, 28 legislators of the Opposition were suspended from the House on Tuesday for “unruly behaviour”. They were seeking ouster of Minister of State for Home Affairs Gopal Kanda, alleging his name had surfaced in a gangrape case in Gurgaon.

Chandigarh, September 7
The Haryana legislators may fight with one another like cats and dogs over petty issues or make a mockery of House rules by flouting these with impunity, but when it comes to a hike in allowances, they stand as one.

The announcement by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala on an increase in the monthly amount that the legislators get, was heard in pin-drop silence with none interrupting him. Even the fiery BJP Legislature Party leader, Anil Vij, did not interrupt Surjewala, for a change.

Speaking after order was restored in the House, rocked by the “Kanda issue”, Surjewala said that MLAs, cutting across party lines, had been requesting Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to increase their allowances as well as to give them salary as was being done in Punjab.

The government, after considering the sentiments of the legislators, had decided to give them more. Surjewala said since the Governor was out of station, his mandatory approval for introducing a Bill in the House could not be obtained. After the Governor’s approval, the government would issue an Ordinance, increasing the perks of the MLAs. The Haryana MLAs will now get Rs 10,000 as monthly salary. Sumptuary allowance has been increased from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 per month, constituency allowance from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, office allowance from Rs 2500 to Rs 5000, daily allowance from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 and secretariat allowance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

Their total monthly receivables will now be Rs 55,000 as against Rs 35,000 earlier. The pension admissible to former legislators has also been increased to over Rs 20,000.

Besides, the MLAs will get Rs 15 per km if they drive their vehicle for legislative business. The government has decided to place Rs 1 lakh per annum at the MLA’s disposal as “petty grant”. It is not known if the government will frame guidelines on use of this grant as is the case for the MP Local Area Development Fund (MPLAD). The pension of former MLAs has been increased from Rs 5000 (plus dearness pension and dearness allowance) to Rs 7500 (plus DP and DA).