TESTS

New Delhi, Dec. 20 -- Emoluments of Delhi government's Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) may soon see a big hike.

The House Committee on Members Salary, Allowances, Pension Etc (Amendment) Bill, 2009, has recommended a rise by over five folds. The Delhi Assembly accepted the report in the Winter Session (Hindustan Times has a copy of the report).

On an average, Delhi legislators draw over Rs 45,000 as gross emoluments, including their basic salary, constituency allowance, money for employing a secretary and a computer operator. If the hike is cleared, they are likely to draw over Rs 1.5 lakh a month.

Delhi ministers draw over Rs 55,000 per month. This includes Rs 10,000 as house rent and another Rs 10,000 for employing a computer operator.

"Apart from this, both the MLAs and ministers get dearness allowance for attending to House duties. MLAs get Rs 500 per day for attending House affairs.

On an average, they get about Rs 1,000 per month. But ministers get Rs 500 per day for all 30 days a month as DA. That adds up to another Rs 15,000 in addition to their salaries," said a government official, who didn't wish to be named.

"Even if they do not come to the House, it is assumed that they have attended to House duties." The members of the House committee that included Congress MLAs Anil Bhardwaj, Mukesh Sharma, Barkha Singh, Dr Narendra Nath and BJP MLA Jagdish Mukhi cited the example of the Punjab, Haryana and Goa legislative assemblies and their emolument structures while recommending a hike.

BJP MLA Jagdish Mukhi, however, felt that now the matter was in the government's hand. "The report is vague on what kind of a hike they want to give," he said.

In February 2009, the MLAs had given themselves the right to draw two pensions from different government sources. Allowing those who have retired from government jobs to simultaneously draw their pension as well as the MLA's salary.

Earlier, an MLA who went on to become a Member of Parliament (MP) could draw a pension for his former job and a salary for the latter. But once he retired as an MP, he had to choose which pension he wanted to avail.

In several states such as Kerala and Rajasthan, an MLA or an MP can draw on two pensions simultaneously.