Maharashtra legislators hike their own salaries

Maharashtra legislators Thursday unanimously agreed to hike their salaries, perks and allowances, raising their emoluments to around Rs.72,000 per head per month.

A bill to the effect was passed by a voice vote in the Maharashtra legislative assembly during its sitting on the last day of winter session in this second capital of the state.

The bill would nearly double the legislators salaries, and allowances for attending the house, telephone, travel, house sittings and other heads. It will be applicable to 288 MLAs and 78 MLCs.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Patil moved the resolution in the assembly for an amendment to the 1978 Act which covers salaries and allowance of the speaker, deputy speaker, chairman, deputy chairman, opposition leaders and other members.

The bill said that in view of the overall inflationary trends, hike in fuel prices, postal, stationery charges, increased use of telephone and internet, the government proposes to hike the salary and certain other allowances for the members.

The hike is expected to put an additional financial burden of estimated Rs.16 crore on the government.

Reacting sharply to the development, the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti said that while the state government failed to give food and health subsidies to over a million distressed farming families, the state legislators rewarded themselves with a fat pay hike without any discussion or protests from opposition parties.

"This comes at a time when the states debts have crossed the Rs.2 lakh crore mark. This is nothing but open loot of the public money, and the hike must be withdrawn," demanded VJAS president Kishor Tiwari in a statement.

He pointed out that the state is facing an unprecedented economic and agro crisis in view of the heavy and unseasonal rains, which have caused crop damage worth over Rs.25,000 crore.

However, Tiwari lamented that instead of doing anything worthwhile to mitigate the sufferings of millions of farmers, many of whom were committing suicide, the states lawmakers hurriedly gave themselves a huge pay hike on the last day of the winter session.

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Maharashtra opposition demands Deshmukhs resignation

The opposition created a ruckus in the Maharashtra assembly Thursday, the last day of its winter session, demanding Vilasrao Deshmukhs resignation from the union cabinet for favouring a legislator when he was the chief minister.

The opposition also demanded a clarification from the state government on the issue.

Opposition members trooped into the well of the house and disrupted the proceedings by shouting slogans and demanding Deshhmukhs resignation, compelling Deputy Speaker Vasant Purke to adjourn the house for 10 minutes.

After it reassembled, the opposition continued the noisy scenes and panel speaker Sadashivrao Patil again adjourned the house for half an hour.

On re-assembling, Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse again raised the issue, alleging that Deshmukh had violated the oath of office when he asked the state police not to arrest the father of party MLA Dilip Sananda, who was engaged in the money lending business.

Khadse pointed out that Deshmukh had violated the constitutional provision of not favouring anybody and the government should make a statement on the issue.

Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai said the Supreme Court had slapped a fine of Rs.10 lakh on the state government.

“Who will pay that fine? The financial burden would automatically fall on the taxpayers of the state,” he contended.

Defending the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Patil said the state government had not received a certified copy of the apex court judgment, delivered last Tuesday, and hence could not comment on it.

Countering this, Bharatiya Janata Partys Devendra Phadnavis said the judgment has been posted on the official website of the Supreme Court.

Later, Patil said the government would seek the opinion of the legal department and only then would he be able to comment on the issue.

However, the opposition continued with its slogan shouting, waving placards and the house was adjourned again for another half hour.

Reacting to the developments, Deshmukh, who is union minister for heavy industries, termed the opposition protests as “political” and rejected the demand for his resignation.

Deshmukh said he had sought a certified copy of the judgment to study before reacting in the matter.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court chided Deshmukh for shielding Congress legislator Dilip Sanandas father in a criminal case and also imposed a Rs.10 lakh fine on the state government.

Farmers had filed a police complaint alleging that family members of Sananda were involved in money lending, which is banned by law.

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