Jammu, Oct 28: A House Committee set up by Speaker Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather to examine revision of salary and allowances of the MLAs and pensionary benefits to ex-legislators has recommended doubling the amount paid per month to MLAs from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, substantial hike in pension, increasing housing loan from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 75 lakh and car advance from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
The Panel has also recommended that necessary amendments be made to increase salaries of the Chief Minister, Speaker, Ministers and the Leader of Opposition.
The Committee proposed that Salaries and Allowances of Members of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Act, 1960 be amended to increase salary of the legislators from Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 and, in addition, they be paid Constituency Conveyance Allowance at the rate of Rs 1.10 lakh, Rs 30,000 Telephone Allowance, Rs 20,000 Medical Allowance, Rs 30,000 Sumptuary Allowance and Rs 30,000 Secretariat Assistance Allowance, totaling Rs 3 lakh per month as against the current Rs 1.5 lakh.
The Committee has also proposed an amendment in Housing Loan and Motor Car Rules to increase the housing loan from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 75 lakh and car advance from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for the legislators.
It also recommended that the Personal Assistants of MLAs should be paid Rs 25,000 per month instead of Rs 12,000 per month which are being paid at present.
On pension of the former legislators, the Committee proposed the pension and allowances of Rs 1.10 lakh per month.
The Panel suggested amendments in different Acts and relevant rules to revise proportionately the salaries of the Chief Minister, the Speaker, Ministers and the Leader of Opposition.
The Committee unanimously recommended that the proposed amendments should have retrospective effect from November 1, 2024 i.e. the date from which present members started getting their salaries and allowances.
“The role of a legislator is a full-time responsibility and at present they find it difficult to meet growing expenses associated with their public duties. Therefore, a revision of salaries and allowances of legislators has become necessary,’’ the House Committee report said, adding that the Panel made a detailed study of the salary structure of various States and UT in India.
It said the proposal for enhancement of salary and allowances recommended by the Committee will undoubtedly assist the members in meeting legitimate expenses associated with their public life and at the same time enhance quality of their performance as public representative.
During the deliberations, as per the report, the Committee observed that keeping in view the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir and other associated factors, the allowances presently paid to the legislators are inadequate and require suitable enhancement especially the Constituency Conveyance Allowance which is meant essentially for meeting variety of expenses in connection with a legislator’s work.
“The people’s representatives serve as vital interface between public and Government and, therefore, the public needs to realize that their representatives are vital stakeholders in the system. They need to get used to the idea that the legislators should be paid adequately,’’ the report, which was tabled in the Legislature today, read.
Sources said only after the report is approved by the House, the Government will propose necessary amendments to raise salaries and allowances of the CM, the Speaker, the Ministers and the Leader of the Opposition, MLAs and pension of former legislators.
The Committee headed by BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia comprised Ali Mohammad Sagar (NC), Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Congress), Sajad Gani Lone (People’s Conference), Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Mohammad Fayaz (PDP), Pirzada Farooq Ahmed Shah, Arjun Singh Raju (both NC) and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan (Independent MLA) as the members.–(Daily Excelsior)
