PUNJAB / Pension of many former MLAs more than the salary of Chief Minister, due to mistake of officials, 192 crores was lost to the treasury

Many former MLAs of Punjab are taking more than the salary of the Chief Minister every month as pension. According to the rules, there is a provision of pension of 75 thousand rupees for the MLA for the first term and 50 thousand rupees for every other term after that. According to the records of the Vidhan Sabha, at present 275 former MLAs of the state are taking pension according to their different tenures. This includes a dozen former MLAs, including three former Chief Ministers of the state, who are getting 5-6 pensions according to their tenure.

In Punjab, the monthly salary (including allowances) of the Chief Minister is Rs 1.5 lakh. At the same time, Parkash Singh Badal, who was the Chief Minister five times among the former MLAs of the state, is currently entitled to 11 pensions and he used to get the total amount of pension of Rs 5,76,150. However, recently he has written a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly, asking him not to take pension. At the same time, there are many former MLAs of the state, including former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Lal Singh and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who get 5-6 pensions according to their tenure. Its total amount varies from Rs 2,75,550 to Rs 3,25,650.

The officers messed up the rules

With the amendment in Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facility) Act 1977 and Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facility) Act 1984, by issuing notification under Punjab Act No. 30 of 2016, such a provision was made that the former MLA 15000 as pension for their first term and Rs 10000 for each next term. In this amount, first 50 percent DA will be merged and after that 234 percent dearness allowance will be added to the total amount to be created. In this way the former MLAs got tremendous benefit, because 15000 + 7500 (50 per cent DA) = Rs 22500. 22500+52650 (234 percent DA) ie a total pension of Rs 75150 is made.

On the basis of this math, 275 former MLAs of the state were given Rs 37 crore every year from the year 2017 and Rs 186 crore in five years as pension, but citing the Act, the officers fixed this pension, no such provision can be made. It was not in the Act. The Akali-BJP government of the state had made it clear in October 2016 by making a provision of Rs 15,000 for the former MLAs in the first term and Rs 10,000 for the subsequent term, that dearness allowance would be available to other government employees in this amount. Will be added as per dearness allowance.

Had the pension been prepared in this manner, the former MLA would have received only Rs 19200 including Rs 15,000 and 28 per cent DA. But the result of the disturbances committed by the officers was that the former MLAs continued to get pension of Rs 75150 instead of Rs 19200. In this way, during five years, about Rs 192 crore more was withdrawn from the exchequer.

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have made it clear that corruption will not be tolerated at any cost. The matter will be investigated and the guilty officers will not be spared. The amount paid in excess of the prescribed amount will also be recovered. Kultar Singh Sandhwa, Speaker Punjab Legislative Assembly

Punjab government got Congress support

Congress MLA and former Punjab Education Minister Pargat Singh has welcomed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's decision to give one pension to former MLAs. On Friday, he wrote on his Twitter handle that we wholeheartedly welcome Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's decision of 'One MLA-One Pension'. Such decisions will surely reduce the burden on the exchequer of Punjab.

As the opposition, we will always welcome good decisions and comment on bad decisions. The welfare of Punjab is at number one for us. On the other hand, Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira welcomed the decision and said that we support this move. He said that he would welcome every step taken in the interest of the state. Punjab is already in debt, in such a situation this step is welcome. Khaira said that if the government does good work, it will be welcome. However, he also said that the amount of debt Punjab has and only such a deduction will not be enough to meet the expenses of the state. Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Ayali has also welcomed this decision of Bhagwant Mann government.