VADODARA, Mar 19: BJP MP Varun Gandhi today suggested an “external body” to decide the salary and allowances of MPs which, he claimed, were raised 400 per cent in the last six years, and questioned whether “we really earned this massive increment”.
He said the authority to determine one’s own salary was not in line with the morals of democracy.
Speaking at an interactive programme titled “Ideas for a new India” with students of the Navrachna University here, he said the rise in emoluments of MPs was happening despite the number of days when Parliament ran going down.
“The MPs’ salaries were increased 400 per cent in six years, but Parliament runs only for 50 days a year compared to 130 days during 1952-72. Have we really earned this massive increment,” the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur said.
He said he had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggesting her to start a “movement” asking “rich lawmakers” to forego their salaries for the remainder of their term.
“There are 180 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 75 MPs in the Rajya Sabha who have shown their income as Rs 25 crore and above. If they forego their salaries, it will help the exchequer save several hundred crore rupees,” he said.
Gandhi said growing inequality was detrimental to society and public representatives should be seen as more “responsive” to the socio-economic realities of the country.
He said the United Kingdom, where salaries of lawmakers saw a rise of 13 per cent in the same period, had an external body called the “Review Body on Senior Salaries” to advise the Government on emoluments and pensions of lawmakers.
Supporting people’s right to recall elected representatives, Gandhi said he had proposed an amendment to the Representation of People Act to fix parameters under which such a right could be exercised.
He said these parameters would have to be fixed after a proper public discourse.
The BJP MP said that reservation for women in Parliament must be encouraged to promote the entry of ordinary women like teachers, advocates and doctors. He said such reservation, however, should not be extended to the wives, daughters and relatives of politicians. (PTI)
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