Allowances, pensions are rights of MPs: Govt.

The government today asserted that the allowances and pensions are the rights of MPs and ex- MPs and Parliament has every right to decide on it.

Parliament Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the rights and privileges of Parliament are sacrosanct.

He was intervening in the matter raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha on Supreme Court's notice to the Centre and the Election Commission.

The members from different parties expressed concern over the issue.

Kumar urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to look into the matter.

Two days back, the apex court had agreed to examine the constitutional validity of laws granting pension and other perks to retired MPs and sought responses from the Centre and Election Commission on the issue.

A bench comprising Justices J. Chelameswar and E. S. Abdul Nazeer had said it would hear the matter in detail and also issued notices to the Secretaries General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the plea filed by an NGO.