Hike in MPs’ Salary

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Dr Arvind Kumar
The Joint Parliamentary Committee’s recommendation that an MP’s salary be fixed at Re 1 more than that of a Secretary to Government of India at Rs 80,001 is a welcome move which the present government should implement without any hitch. This hike is eminently sensible because of the fact that an MP holds the rank of a Secretary to Government of India. Undoubtedly, higher salary and perks will attract talent to Parliament and enrich the world’s largest democracy.
It is equally important to make them accountable for their acts of omission and commission. Consider how Opposition MPs fritter away precious time in disrupting the proceedings and staging walkouts on flimsy grounds. Following suggestions are offered to make MPs more accountable:
1. Some mechanism needs to be worked out to impose fines or wage cut on MPs for unruly behaviour.
2. Deatils about assets and annual income tax returns filed by the MPs should be regularly posted on the websites of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
3. The MPs who remain inactive in Parliament, neither ask probing questions nor meaningfully participate in debates in more than one session should be debarred from seeking re-election.

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