New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance amending the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to reduce allowances and pension by 30 per cent with effect from April 1, for a year.
The President, Vice President, and Governors have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility. The money will go to the Consolidated Fund of India.
This is being done in light of the coronavirus pandemic which India, along with countries around the globe is battling.
Addressing a press briefing, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also approved a move to suspend the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years (2020-21 and 2021-22) and this amount will also go to the Consolidated Fund of India.
These funds will be used to strengthen the government’s efforts in managing the challenges and adverse impact of Covid-19 in the country, he said.
The purse strings of the government are being tightened in view of the coronavirus emergency and a fund — PM CARES — has been set up for relief efforts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the Prime Minister for the decisions.
Senior Congress Ahmed Patel “welcomed” the Cabinet decision, saying that “in difficult times it is necessary that we help citizens”.
CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, however, accused the government of “fudging data”, and said that it had pushed the economy “steeply downhill” even before COVID-19. (IANS)
