New Delhi, Mar 22: Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal, while speaking in the Upper House, briefly commented upon the much awaited salary hike for Members of Parliament. Agrawal cited the implementation of 7th Pay Commission for Central Government employees, while pitching for a similar pay hike for the lawmakers. “Even the peon now gets more salary than the MPs, when will our salaries be hiked,” the senior Samajwadi Party leader said.
“Pay Commission has been implemented for all. All sections of government staff have received their respective salary hike. When will the MPs get the salary hike?” questioned Agrawal. Reacting to the statement of Aggarwal, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “The Leader of Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) is absent to answer the query.”
Agrawal struck back saying, “If the Leader of House is absent, we expect you, Naqvi saheb to take the decision.” He further added, “Make the announcement (regarding salary hike) today. Entire House agrees with me.”
The demand by Agrawal led to a burst of laughter in the Upper House, with Rajya Sabha’s Deputy Chairman, P J Kurien, saying, “Even I agree.”
Agrawal further continued saying, “I led a delegation to the Prime Minister to speak in this regard. He assured us that the demand would be reviewed. After me, nearly 12-14 MPs of BJP met the Prime Minister to discuss the matter. After their meeting, their faces revealed how much scolding their received from the Prime Minister.”
Interestingly, the remarks of Agrawal in respect to 7th Pay Commission came amid the prevailing discontent among Central Government employees. Following the implementation of 7th Pay Commission report in July 2016, only the basic component of their salaries were hiked. The increase in allowances was put on hold as Central Government employee unions had raised several anomalies over the subsumption of nearly 36 and abolition of 52 out of the total 196 allowances.
Centre had formed a committee on allowances under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa in July to review the anomalies raised by unions. With nearly nine months concluding after its formation, the committee on allowances is yet to submit its report to the Centre.
“The committee on allowances should had submitted its report by now. We are not sure why it has been delayed so far. If Government fails to implement allowance hike from April 1, they will invite agitation from employees,” said Shiv Gopal Mishra, convenor of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA), which is spearheading the demand on behalf of aggrieved Central Government employees.