4 Bills on salary hike cleared

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25

The House today unanimously passed four Bills, increasing the salary of MLAs, ministers and the speaker by 60 to 100 per cent, and also approved a resolution for a new housing colony for serving and former MLAs.

Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had recently complained about the fact that salary bill comprised 55 per cent of the total revenue expenditure.

A previous housing scheme for the members of the House had run into legal trouble. A private firm was to implement the scheme. Now, the members passed a new resolution, asking the state government to formulate a plan to develop a colony in or near Chandigarh. Senior Congress leader and ex-finance minister moved the resolution at the fag end of the session.

The House also passed a resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal to provide houses to former chief ministers and speakers, who completed minimum five years in office, at concessional rates at state headquarters.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal moved the salary increase Bills. He said the council of ministers had already passed the hike.

He also said that a separate notification about the increase in salary of the Chief Parliamentary Secretaries would be issued later on. Congress MLA from Ludhiana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, also urged the Speaker to press the government for introducing MLA Local Area Development Fund on the lines of a fund for the Members of Parliament.