Self-rewarding exorbitant pay-perks in a spur of moment
R.S. Gill
The only highlight of the current session of the Jammu Kashmir Assembly, perhaps in lawmakers voting a higher salary for Self & Co is that the ugly heist has been staged in full public view instead of on the sly and quite lawfully too. So, sans the shady secrecy, it therefore loses the spectacular status of a scam or scandal, despite qualifying in every other way. Past record reveals that the ‘sleazy' act of raising salaries and perks for themselves by these ‘Lords' is often done on the last day of the session at Godspeed where even many legislators do not know when the Chair declared it passed to make their kitty heavier.
Uncivil though their behaviour, it is worthwhile knowing how much richer our dear representatives have turned. Post this scam-that-was-not, an MLA/MLC would get as salary of Rs. 160,000/- per month. And then there are a host of non-cash perks which make the cost to the country many times more.
Our intransigent lot justify their self proclaimed ‘difficult work': After all, there are always trust votes, difficult Bills which most of them do not understand, question hours, cut-motions as ritual of cutting just a 100 rupees out of grants worth crores and sundry other opportunities that only warrant some minimal flexibility on the floor but bring rewards many-times official package. Again, most are many-time legislators, past ministers or even ex-Chief Ministers are no strangers to the copious offerings of public office. Still these worthies haggled like hawkers as if their life and livelihood depended on State handout. And the champions of social justice made the whole drama downright vulgar!
They too are now more or less permanent fixtures? For instance, is it not preposterous that an MLA/MLC/MP is entitled to pension? Even if he was so just for a day! It is outrageous that when even our present is shaky, our temporary reps' future should be so secure. Clearly this makes legislators, most of whom are dispensable, permanent parasites on the public instead. And if the pension is posthumous, we have generations of parasites to feed!
Indeed, it is a perversion even to use the word salary in their context. Legislature or Parliament is not in session all through the year and seasons. If time spent in constituency is deemed as working hours then there must be some way of accounting and monitoring it. Even so, ‘charging' for that should tear away the Tag of Public Service that all politicos wear nonchalantly! In short, salary always comes with lot of power. Now, we know that the Jammu Kashmir's addiction to absenteeism or holidays afflicts the prosperous proletariat of Legislators too. But even considering just the session days as working days, the MLAs/MLCs get paid even if they are nowhere near Jammu or Srinagar! Nor do they face any deduction, like us ordinary folks who elect them, if they land up late, adjourn, walk out, dozed-off or scoot in some way. No fines either, for unruly behaviour. And no damages are due for broken mikes, tables and chairs! Really, all fixed pay should be scrapped and only sitting fees (that is, when MLA/MLC/MPs sit for rest and then rise to shout), that too strictly based on attendance, must be allowed!
Forget the fat static pay, sitting fees and standing committee costs; other running expenses that ruin our collective pockets include free accommodation in palatial bungalows, free business class air travel and free train travel for self and family, free water, electricity and phone calls, free medical facility on call, subsided food indeed these are things that our reps can actually afford but an average citizen would sell his soul for!
Add to these the mind-boggling costs of electing them every six years or even at earlier intervals. And then there is this other monstrous upper appendage with the lofty nomenclature ‘Legislative Council' a talking club of ‘elders' whose pranks nevertheless are as puerile as their ‘Lower' counterparts. These unelected elite suck too at the same ‘asking' rate as MLAs!
Indeed, our sound democracy comes at an un-affordable steep price in terms of money and national interests too. How we wish the Well in the Assembly that these Stall-Warts often rush into, raising slogans or protesting against anything Indian except Indian Money, is a real Well, wide and deep, even bottomless and water-less! And not saving them would save us a lot and a lot of us too!
