New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) The cabinet Monday deferred a bill that sought to hike the salary of MPs from Rs.16,000 to Rs.50,000, official sources said.
The bill was scheduled to be tabled in parliament this week.
The sources said at a time of drought conditions in some parts of the country, the cabinet felt that MPs should send out a message of austerity.
A committee led by Congress MP Charandas Mahant had recommended that the salary of MPs should be a rupee more than that of a secretary in the government of India. The secretary gets Rs.80,000 a month.
But the parliamentary affairs ministry suggested a salary of Rs.50,000.
An MP gets Rs.16,000 a month as salary and is also entitled to a daily allowance of Rs.1,000 for each day when parliament is in session and house committee sittings are attended by them.
A member also gets a constituency allowance of Rs.20,000 a month, office expense allowance of Rs.20,000 a month, telephone and mobile connections, air journeys, first class train travel, and accommodation throughout the term with concessions in water and electricity charges.
There have been suggestions from MPs that the salary and allowances should be hiked as they had to maintain at least two offices.
With the cabinet decision, the proposed salary increase is unlikely to be effected in the current session of parliament.
