New Delhi, August 23: The Union cabinet on Monday increased allowances of MPs by Rs. 10, 000 per month.
This will comprise a hike of Rs.5,000 in Constituency allowance and another Rs.5,000 towards office expenses.Both the perks are non-taxable.
Although, the MPs were demanding Rs. 80,001-one rupee more than what a government secretary gets.
Earlier, the salary hike bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, as per which the basic salary of MPs will be increased by 300%, from Rs 16, 000 to Rs 50, 000 per month.
The decision had not satisfied the MPs. The Members of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and other parties slammed the cabinet over the minimal hike and asked the cabinet to take it back.
In the wake of protest by the MPs, the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday met RJD chief Lalu Prasad, SP supremo Mulayam Singh and BJP leader Gopinath Munde and assured them that the government would re-look at the hike in the salary of MPs.
An MP at present gets Rs.16, 000 a month as salary but the parliamentary affairs ministry suggested raising it to Rs.50, 000 as against the Rs.80, 001 recommended by a parliamentary panel.
–Agencies