Haryana legislators today demanded hike in their salary and allowances after which the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to bring a Bill to hike the salary and allowances of the MLAs.
Barring Congress, whose members did not attend the session today, the ruling BJP, main opposition INLD, BSP and Independents all strongly backed the demand for hike in pay and allowances, prompting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to say, "Today, everyone is beaming with joy, there is clapping and unprecedented unity is seen (on the issue)".
Three days back, a House Committee had been formed which dwelled into the issue seeking information from neighbouring states on pay and allowances of the legislators. The Committee wasted no time and quickly prepared the report favouring the hike.
On the last day of the budget session of the Haryana Assembly today, lone BSP member Tek Chand Sharma moved a resolution, saying salary and allowances of the MLAs should be increased.
"In Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Delhi and in Jharkhand, there have been examples of hike in pay and allowances, recently. A committee which had been formed three days back has submitted its report," the BSP member said.
He told the House that while Congress may have stayed away from attending the proceedings to protest its three MLAs suspension for tearing copies of the Governor's Address, the party legislator Lalit Nagar "had quickly given his view on the salary hike and signed the report".
"This (resolution) should be passed today," the BSP MLA said, even as there was loud thumping of the benches, both from BJP and main opposition INLD benches.
"We promise you (pointing towards Speaker) that no where will you find any MLA involved in any corrupt practice," Tek Chand said, without elaborating.
INLD's Zakir Hussain seconded the proposal, saying it was need of the present times to increase the salary and allowances of MLAs.
"The committee has given its report. Chief Minister has accepted in-principle the resolution put up here today," Haryana Parliamentary Affairs minister Ram Bilas Sharma said.
Gian Chand Gupta, Dr Banwari Lal (of BJP), Zakir Husain (INLD), Tek Chand (BSP), Lalit Nagar (Cong) and Jai Prakash (Independent) were the members of the committee.
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Towards the end, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said "today, I feel extremely happy and what should I say, surprisingly happy that entire House is standing together on this issue, may be such unity is not seen on any other issue."
Some members reminded him that on issues like SYL, the House had shown unanimity, Khattar told them but he had not heard so much clapping and not seen so much joy on the faces of the MLAs, like he was seeing today.
Then suggesting how the hike in salary and allowances of legislators can be effected, Khattar said "I have to say there are two ways to do it".
"Since it is Money Bill, it cannot be passed today, second is to bring an Ordinance on the issue.
However, what I feel that not having a Bill passed and having an ordinance in its place may set a precedent that some emergent situation had arisen that we had to do it...," he told the House.
As soon as Khattar suggested a second alternative, saying that in next three months another session will be convened, he was interrupted from the members cutting across party lines who thought that their salary and allowances would not increase now for the next three months or so.
Repeatedly pleading with them to listen to him, Khattar said "if House wants then what we can do is when the next session is convened, lets's say after three months, we can have the thing (hike) implemented in retrospective effect from April 1, 2016."
As soon as he had said this, the members again thumped the benches agreeing with him.
