Despite the cooling down of the fuel prices in the last one-and-a-half year, Punjab Government has given its nod to raise the travel allowance given to the MlAs in Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
Given a 20 per cent hike on travel expenses, Ministers and MlAs will be getting travel allowance at the rate of 18 Rs per kilometre, which was Rs 15 before the hike.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Madan Mohan Mittal informed the Punjab Assembly about this decision replying a query raised by Congress MlA Rakesh Pandey. Mittal told the house that the proposal to raise the limit of diesel, given to security vehicles attached with MlAs, was also under consideration and government is thinking to raise it to 700 litres from 500 litres at present.
On another matter of providing SUV Fortuner to the leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Chanranjit Singh Channi, Mittal said that the government had offered official vehicle to leader of Opposition but he refused to accept it being an old vehicle. He said that government has sought tenders for new Fortuner and as soon as the tender process concludes, it will be made available.