Commentary/Rajiv Shukla

Low salaries force MPs to become corrupt

I hold no brief for politicians, but the fact is that we are forcing MPs to be corrupt. Members of Parliament in India are the lowest paid politicians in the world. In fact, legislators in certain states earn higher salaries and allowances than an MP. The salary of the Punjab member of the legislative assembly, for instance, is three times an MP's salary. Even when compared to government officers, MPs are the lowest paid: their salary being equivalent to that of a office peon.

An MP's salary is only Rs 1,500 per month, plus Rs 3,500 as constituency allowance, giving his a total of Rs 5,000 to run his affairs. Surprisingly, and not known to many, the government deducts from his total salary, paying charges for furniture, carpet, electricity, and other items. Besides, various parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India-Marxist, collect Rs 500 as party contribution. For facilities, an MP get Rs 200 per day when Parliament is in session and Rs 1,000 for stationery every month. He is also entitled to 50,000 free calls per year from on his telephones in Delhi and in his constituency, and is also given 28 domestic air journeys and free railway travel. An MP is also entitled to a two bedroom flat only after he is elected for the third term.

The salary of an MP has not been increased from the time when it was decided upon in 1954. A committee was set up to consider the demands of the MPs, but its recommendations are yet to be implemented. Anyone who lives or has lived in Delhi will be aware that Rs 5,000 is a pittance to lead a decent middle class life in that city.

It is particularly difficult for a member of Parliament to manage his affairs on such a low salary. On an average, an MP receives at least 50 people daily, and to each visitor he has to offer at least a cup of tea. Also, many people from an MP's constituency often stay over at the member's residence in Delhi, making the MP incur expenses. An MP's expenditure is higher when he is in his constituency as he ends up incurring costs to keep his voters satisfied. He also needs Rs 10,000 per month to maintain his vehicle to tour the constituency.

A member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh pointed out that during the last wedding season, he attended 200 weddings in his constituency in order to keep in touch with his voters, and at each wedding he gave Rs 100 as gift to the wedding couple. The cost works out to four months salary, and there are two marriage seasons per year. "I am compelled to be dishonest as I cannot meet my genuine expenses from what I get from Parliament," he said.

He also debunked the commonly held beliefs of MPs being rich or corrupt. "People in my constituency think that one who becomes an MP becomes a millionaire. But the fact is that a honest MP always exist hand-to-mouth. About 70 per cent of the MPs are still honest, particularly those who come from the scheduled castes and backward communities. Despite being an MP for three terms, they are unable to afford a car and travel by public transport in Delhi," he said.

He agreed that there are a number of MPs who are millionaires, but insisted they did not constitute more than 30 per cent of the total, while another 20 per cent earn extra income to run their affairs comfortably. But 50 per cent of the MPs are wholly dependent on their salaries, allowances and facilities provided by Parliament to sustain them. Such MPs, he said, are bound to sell their gas connection and telephone quotas in black, or forced to rent out rooms of their official accommodation while they reside in only one room of their flat, he said. They are used by various power brokers for lobbying in government circles and have to hang around the petroleum minister's office to get a gas agency or a petrol pump.

Today, when we will paying around Rs 25,000 a month to secretaries and a minimum of Rs 12,000 to junior government officers, apart from giving them several facilities like house, telephone, servant, travelling and other allowances following the Fifth Pay Commission's recommendations, surely it is time to increase the salary of our MPs, whose status is above that of a Government of India secretary in protocol.

An MP, according to me, requires Rs 50,000 per month to maintain his status and to run his political affairs honestly. Members of Parliament in Delhi pay their chauffeurs Rs 5,000 per month!

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