Maharashtra legislators, sitting and former, have been demanding hike in their salaries and pension. They have been demanding pension equivalent to a retired IAS officer.
The pension of Rs 50,000 received by a former legislator, thus would increase by about Rs 15,000. The state is presently paying more than Rs 80 crore per year to ex-legislators (MLAs/MLCs), in the form of pension and other facilities. The sitting legislators and ministers get salary between Rs 1.80 lakh and Rs 2 lakh.
The pension paid to these people’s representatives, elected or nominated, has been debated widely on public forums. Should they be paid pension for working (?) for maximum period of five or six years? They are elected by the people to represent them and are considered to be public servants.
About 850 ex-MLAs and MLCs are getting pension. This pension increases by Rs 10,000 for each term he/she gets elected or nominated. Besides they get railway travel concession upto 35,000 kms every year.
For a normal service person pension is due only after serving for 20 years. The terms of pension changed after 1995 and a vast majority is drawing pension, which not even 5 percent of what is given to former legislator after only five years. Moreover half of this huge pension is given to the spuce after the legislator’s death.
Reviewing performance of these legislators would throw more light on luxury they enjoy and the money goes from the tax payers’ pockets.
Huge amounts are spent on providing facilities for these legislators, which can be observed during their visits or sessions of the State Legislature. Careful scrutiny would reveal that very little positive work is carried out during these sessions. With the live telecast of these sessions, people are getting information about the way they work (?).
It was observed that any proposal for hike in their pension or allowances, it is passed unanimously, without any discussion.
During the year 2005 and 2016, they received seven hikes in their salaries and pension. The pension and other facilities are also extended to those whose attendance is negligible. Majority of them are nominated members. Only a few, can be counted on fingers, have not claimed their salaries or pension or other facilities.
