Dr  Vedapratap Vaidik

It could be startling news for our former members of parliament who are drawing multiple pensions and receiving benefits from other sources. The Joint Parliamentary Committee has recently suggested the Union Government allow only one single pension to the former Members of Parliament (MPs). There are instances of a single MP drawing three or more pension benefits on various accounts. For instance the former MPs who were fortunate to become a member of the  Parliament after retiring from some government services are drawing both the pension benefits- pension from the government and also pension from the Parliament. Similarly, there are cases of former MPs getting state legislature pensions as well.

Over Rs 3, 30,000 is  paid to each Member of Parliament every month as salary and perks from our public exchequer.  Apart from this hefty salary the Members of Parliament are entitled to various free bees. If computed at market rate the expense incurred by MPs could cost the public exchequer anything around Rs 100,000 per Member per month. While each of our elected members enjoy the luxury to the tune of over Rs one million a month, over 100 crore  fellow citizens who voted them to power are struggling to earn even 10,000 rupees a month to meet their daily family needs.

In fact, the MPs and MLAs who do not posses any urge to earn “extra income” other than their limited official remuneration are generally depicted idiotic.  For the majority of the elected representatives, irrespective of their party affiliation, the permitted salary and perks are just peanuts.

Our politics can be cleansed only if the elected representatives and public leaders adhere to ethics, social values and transparency prescribed by Acharya Kautilya or live the austere life the great Greek scholar Plato suggested to his followers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi prefers to address himself as ‘Pradhan Jan Sevak’, and that is absolutely right.  But unfortunately our political leaders have  become self-imposed masters of the real masters of democracy, the Public. The corrupt political leaders who are excited to get elected to power become a source of motivation for our bureaucrats to needlessly bother the common man and make illicit fortunes. My sincere thanks to the Parliamentary Committee for saving tomes of public money by terminating multiple pensions availed by former MPs. But there is much more to be done.

I strongly feel the right conferred on the MPs to increase their own salaries, allowances and other incentives has to be taken away eternally. In many democratic countries of the world, this right has been given to another organization. Apart from this, just think that if a person has been a member of the parliament or state legislative assembly for a period less than five years, then why should such a member be given pension benefits? Do government employees and university professors get pensions like this? My considered view is, the MPs and MLAs should not relinquish pension for the larger interest of the nation.

There are reports of pension related scams emerging from many states.  In some states a massive amount is sanctioned as pension money to the MLAs who are elected multiple times. Parkash Singh Badal of Akali Dal in Punjab, 11-time MLA got around Rs.6lakh per month as pension. The newly elected Mann government of AAP has scrapped such pension provisions that allowed many to drain the state coffers.  

It is further shocking that in some states the income tax on the income of the legislators is paid by the concerned government.

Like MPs the MLAs are also getting many free facilities like well furnished houses for residence, travel expenses, telephone bills, entertainment allowance and the list is lengthy. I am of the opinion that all facilities relating to service of the people have to be granted with no hesitation. But extravaganza like pension, hefty salary and over luxurious paraphernalia needs to be denied for the elected representatives. They are elected to serve the people and they should never dream of thriving on public money.  I was really surprised to see the elected representatives and those in power squandering public money in billions and trillions to brighten their image.  I strongly wish these advertisement blitzkrieg to boost the image of those in power is also prohibited forthwith.

*Dr. Vaidik is a widely travelled scholar-journalist. He has visited more than 80 countries on diplomatic and educationalmissions. Dr. Vaidik has won more than a dozen National and International awards for academic and journalistic excellence. He has been a member of several Advisory Committees of Government of India.