MPs are perceived as self-centred who grab privileges on their own, by misutilising their powers. But the belief that they hike their own salary, while a Pay Commission fixes the salary for the bureaucracy, is a misconception
Why pay the MPs, when they are rendering service to the people — is a general query angrily put by civil society. Members of the civil society want MPs’ services to be rendered free of cost. And when the MPs regularly loot public money, no further payment by way of salary be made, they argue. While such complaints can be disputable, the general perceptions entertained about several aspects of an MP’s privileges and facilities require clarification.
Besides the rationale of paying salary, the provision of Member of Parliament local Area Development Scheme, subsidised canteen foods etc, have built an atmosphere of distrust against the MPs. They are being viewed as self-sum, who grab privileges on their own, by misutilising their powers. But how can there be a service without any cost attached to itIJ Service cannot be rendered free of cost.
Becoming an MP or an MlA is a service. Being a people’s representative is a job, just like one in Government service. Everywhere, in every country, MPs are paid — paid very well. As of now, the MPs of the US get Rs8,73,500 per month. likewise, MPs of the UK get Rs5,38,776 per month; those in Australia get Rs6,10,281; France Rs4,19,013; Italy Rs4,36,968; Sweden Rs4,99,614. Asian countries like Singapore pay Rs6,23,632 and the Maldives pays Rs4,46,229 per month. Sri lanka pays a monthly salary of Rs53,251 and Pakistan Rs65,851. The daily allowance paid in Pakistan is Rs3,759.
The MPlADs is perceived to be unconstitutional, and the father-in-law’s dowry is paid to the son-in-law! This is the way in which this fund’s transaction is portrayed by the civil society intellectuals — one would cherish a view of the Prime Minister buying around 793 big suitcases (543 lok Sabha and 250 Rajya Sabha) at the beginning of the financial year and handing it over to each of the MPs after stuffing them with five crore rupees in cash and asking them to spend the money as they want.
But the fact is that no money comes to the MPs. The entire fund goes to the District Magistrates. Making recommendation for a project and sending it to the District Magistrate is the only job officially allocated to an MP.
All other processes involved in the execution of MPlADs, like issuance of work order, check measurement, bill payment etc, are carried out by the executive. Those MPs who get a cut, do so at the time of recommendation of the projects. The person who gets the work order pays the bribe in advance to the MP and the MP influences the executive to issue the work order to a particular person.
Right since independence, MPs were paid poorly. They used to get Rs400 per month. At that point of time, MPs had to travel to Delhi by train. There was no practice of visiting the constituency almost every weekend by air. The MPs had to stay through the entire Parliament session in Delhi. There were no provisions for daily allowances, staff allowance, and constituency allowance etc. Also, canteen food was provided at a subsidised rate.
However, the canteen is now virtually used daily by 3,000 Parliament employees, innumerable security staff, journalists and people who pay a visit to Parliament.
Earlier, there was a time when there was no specific dining room for the MPs; journalists occupied all the dining space, compelling the MPs to stand and eat. When a separate dining room was made available for the MPs, the mediapersons objected to the same.
The misconceptions spread against MPs are gobbled up by people because of an image deficit the MPs suffer from. This perception has some basis. If people find empty Houses, mostly after lunch hour, they will see the MPs in poor light.
But what if the same is the case with a vacant Press gallery — with journalists who do not consider serious debates worth coverageIJ For them, the chaos or a sort of bull-fight during the procedings, is printable — which the public too likes to read.
leave aside printing, even in the gist of important speeches made by a member, after a detailed preparation, his/her name is not even mentioned. But there was a time when national dailies devoted an entire page to parliamentary debates.
Returning to salaries, the belief that MPs hike their own salaries and perks regularly, while a Pay Commission fixes the salary for the bureaucracy, is a real misconception.
The MPs do not hike their salary arbitrarily through a committee constituted by themselves. As a matter of fact, this is a provision made by Article 106 of the Constitution. No outside committee can fix the salaries of the MPs.
(The writer is a former Member of Parliament)