LA can hike salary of legislators through legislation
*Models of some other States/UTs being studied
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 30: The Government will shortly come out with a decision on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and perks of the legislators as an exercise in this regard is on while the Legislative Assembly has powers to make bill to enhance salary and allowances of the MLAs if the existing one is not found satisfactory.
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When the Legislative Assembly of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was dissolved in November 2018, the legislators were getting Rs 3 cr CDF per year and Rs 1.6 lakh perks including Rs 80,000 salary and an equal amount as allowances, per month.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department on directions of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has to issue an order on CDF of the MLAs.
‘‘An exercise in this regard is on. The CDF of various States and Union Territories including guidelines on its expenditure are being studied by the Government and an order is expected to be issued shortly,’’ the sources said, adding since the MLAs were already getting Rs 3 cr CDF every year it will either be the same or more.
In the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Upper House (Legislative Council) was also in place and its Members (the MLCs) too had CDF equal to that of MLAs. They had to pick their constituency for use of CDF. However, the Legislative Council was dissolved after abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and its conversion from the State to the Union Territory.
There were 36 Members in the Legislative Council including the chairperson and vice chairperson. In absence of the Upper House, the CDF of the MLAs can go up, the sources said but added that a final call has to be taken up by the Government after receiving proposal from the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department.
There were 87 MLAs in the previous Assembly as against 90 at present with two vacancies. However, there is a provision for nomination of five MLAs including two women, two Kashmiri migrants, one of them a woman, and one refugee from Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK).
As far as perks of the MLAs are concerned, sources said, the Government is likely to go with Rs 1.6 lakh which they were getting in the last Assembly which ceased to exist in November 2018 including Rs 80,000 salary and Rs 80,000 worth allowances.
However, the Legislative Assembly has the powers to bring a bill on salary and allowances of the legislators.
Some of the MLAs told the Excelsior that their salary and allowances became due from October 10, the day the Election Commission notified names of the elected members in the Legislative Assembly. However, they said, till date they haven’t received any salary or allowances from the Government. There is also no communication from the Government to the MLAs in this regard.
The MLAs said that they were yet to receive Travel as well as Sitting Allowance for attending the Assembly—first for the oath taking ceremony and secondly for five-day session from November 4-8.
When contacted, Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said it is the Government which has to take a call on CDF of the legislators.
However, he said, the Legislative Assembly has the powers to bring a bill on salary and allowances of the MLAs.
The Government, as per the sources is seized of the issue and detailed guidelines pertaining to CDF will also be issued along with total amount to be given to the MLAs for carrying out development works in their constituencies.
The guidelines could include ceiling on expenditure of CDF in particular sectors, they said.
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