The Rajya Sabha today unanimously passed the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill 2020 and the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The two legislations are related to reduction in the salaries, allowances of the Ministers and Members of Parliament.

The bills will replace the two ordinances amending the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act, 1952 and the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954. The bills have provision to cut the salaries and other allowances by 30 per cent. These changes have been made for a period of one year effective from 1st of April this year.

The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was moved by the Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy while the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.

Speaking on the Bill, Mr. Reddy said, these reductions are being made to supplement the financial resources of the Centre to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Prahlad Joshi took a dig at the opposition for questioning the Central Vista and bullet train projects. He said, the suspension of MPLAD funds is temporary for two years. Mr. Joshi also said the WHO and International Bodies are appreciating India’s fight against COVID-19.

Earlier during the discussion, MPs from several opposition parties questioned the government over suspension of the MPLAD funds and demanded its restoration. Leader of Opposition Gulam Nabi Azad said that MPLAD fund is people’s money and it must be spent for their welfare. He urged the government not to suspend the MPLAD funds for two years and reduce it to one year.

He also urged that there should be a 50 per cent cut in the MPLAD fund during the one year period. Another Congress leader Rajiv Satav criticized the government over the Central Vista Project demanding that it should be put on hold and the amount must be used for the relief of COVID-19 pandemic.

He also demanded cuts in government expenditure during this pandemic. Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD questioned the Central Vista Project saying that priority must be fixed. Dinesh Trivedi of TMC said, leaders of different political parties should be consulted before taking such decisions. Prasanna Acharya of BJD also demanded for restoration of MPLAD funds saying that these funds are being utilized for the welfare of the common people. 

Vishambhar Prasad Nishad of Samajwadi Party echoed the same view. Shwait Malik of BJP lauded the Prime Minister’s efforts to provide relief to the common man during this pandemic. He urged the opposition not to play politics over the issue. Another party MP, Rakesh Sinha criticized the opposition parties saying that they are raising small issues in the times of national crisis.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh of JD(U) said that an emergency fund must be created by the Centre and State Governments to tackle the emergency situation. K. Somaprasad of CPI (M), Vijayasaid Reddy, K. Ravindra Kumar of TDP, Dr. Fauzia Khan of NCP, Veer Singh of BSP, K. Keshava Rao of TRS and others also participated in the discussion.