The Hindu Business Line : MP's allowances

OUR MPs have done it again. On December 22, within a matter of 10 minutes, not stopping with generously expanding the scope and quantum of their perks, they gifted out of public money to all former MPs, regardless of the period of their membership, a monthly pension of Rs 3,000. The Bill was not even included in the List of Business, but the MPs readily waived all the rules to get it passed. Twice before, in 1998 and 2001, they had similarly dipped into the kitty.

On the last occasion, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, actually pooh-poohed likely objections by declaring, "This is nothing...Add an amendment to make sure an MP can get pension even if he is a member for 10 days!" He should be happy that the Government has been so prompt in carrying out his wish. In this it has done one better than the Mother of Parliaments in the UK which provides only for a lump sum resettlement grant equivalent to 50 per cent of annual salary for MPs who have served for 10 years or less.

It may be doing an injustice to them, considering the very hard work that the better MPs put in, but the indisputable fact is that the very thought of their helping themselves now and again with hefty increases in their pay and allowances is loathsome to most of their constituents, millions of whom go without basic amenities and lead a hard-scrabble existence, unable to make both ends meet.

There are other reasons too why people are in no mood to consider MPs worthy of any kind of remuneration or compensation paid out of tax payers' money. In their eyes, and as per authentic figures released by the Election Commission itself, persons with criminal antecedents forming a good proportion of the so-called people's representatives, the last thing they need is further monetary incentives.

Their image has plummeted to such depths that they are generally viewed as persons without principles or scruples, out to subvert democracy for their own self-serving purposes. The disorderly scenes and violent scuffles within the sacred precincts of the temples of democracy, bringing people's business to a halt, sometimes for days on end, at heavy cost to the public exchequer, has further antagonised the people. In short, it is a bleak scenario altogether.

In this background, should not the MPs show a greater sense of delicacy and sensitivity in jacking up their own pay and perks? Should they, on the contrary, time after time, rush the legislative proposals through, without properly observing the formalities governing the introduction and passing of Bills? The Government does not even extend the minimum courtesy of explaining to the people the necessity for giving the MPs a raise, but makes a fait accompli of it as if the people do not count.

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