New Delhi: Little work, big pay has almost become synonymous with Indian democratic functioning – amply highlighted yet again by the ongoing Budget session which resumed on March 5. Repeated disturbance, disruptions and delays have meant little in terms of actual work has been achieved in Parliament. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari – apparently appaled by repeated adjournments – wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan asking for salary cuts for MPs when no constructive work happens in Parliament.
In his letter addressed to Mahajan, Tiwari wrote that he is pained by the ‘unprecedented chaos in the House resulting in loss of valuable time of the Parliament.’ He further called for ‘No Work No Pay‘ system to be enforced. “I propose deducting the salary of MPs for their failure to engage in any constructive work,” he wrote. Highlighting that public representatives are ‘running away from their responsibilities’, he said he was disturbed with how MPs have been behaving.
Several opposition parties have repeatedly created ruckus in Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu lamented and said Parliament is being made a laughing stock with the repeated agitations. Ironically, the only time when politicians cutting across party lines come to a sure-shot agreement is when it is about getting a pay hike. Last month, MPs were given a 100 per cent salary hike in Budget 2018. Basic salaries were raised from Rs 50,000 per month to Rs 1 lakh. Pension too was increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month.
