Hike in pay & allowances of Parliamentarians? Is it not a conflict of interest?

New Delhi: A Joint Parliamentary Committee recommended nearly doubling the salaries and allowances of Parliamentarians after these were last hiked to almost 300-percent just five years ago. It is usual that bills for hiking benefits including monetary ones for Parliamentarians are easily passed in Parliament without any discussion.

It is certainly a conflict of interest that Parliamentarians decide for themselves at cost of public exchequer. Ridiculous arguments being placed include increase in cost of contesting elections. By that logic even person losing elections should also be compensated as right of equality.

Parliamentarian’s total benefits including all types of allowances must not exceed total take-home salary of highest paid bureaucrat thus making hike in monetary benefits of a Parliamentarian depending according to implementation of recommendations of pay-commissions. In that case salary may be deducted in case of Parliamentarian not attending to daily Parliamentary session or committee-meetings. Since pension of government-employees recruited after the year 2004 is abolished, there is no logic for continuing pensions to Parliamentarians. All other subsidies available for Parliamentarians like on food in Parliamentary canteens or freebies like electronic items, junket trips etc should also be abolished. Parliamentarians not cancelling rail-reservation in case of their not travelling must be penalised by charging cost of non-availed journey from the concerned Parliamentarian.

Majority of Parliamentarians are extra rich. There may be practically very few and rare cases of some non-affording Parliamentarians, for whom affording Parliamentarians can surrender their salaries. In present era, actual election-costs (not as per limit fixed by Election Commission) is so high that non-affording persons can even not dream of contesting elections. Rather in most cases, politicians which also include many Parliamentarians mint money out of their being in political system by taking politics like a family-business.

There may be many who may like to retain membership of Parliament even if system of paying salary and allowances may altogether be abolished. Study should also be made about wealth-hike including of family-members before and after being a Parliamentarian. Deserving persons who presently avoid contesting elections in present system, can and should be elected by inducing ‘Right-To-Reject’ which may practically end dynastic politics and those taking politics as profession.