India Today: New Delhi: Sunday, February 02,
2014.
Indian
parliamentarians are a special breed, always on the lookout for preferential
treatment. In the era of the aam aadmi, the latest in their list of demands is
special treatment at airports. Some of our lawmakers were unhappy with the
treatment meted out to them by private airlines and wanted the protocol that is
extended to them by Air India, followed by private carriers.
The wish list included advance notice
on flight delays, priority for check-in, boarding and security clearances,
besides lounge access and complementary snacks - privileges accorded by the
national carrier, Air India.
However, keeping in mind the sentiment
of the aam aadmi and the Supreme Court's stricture against VIP culture, the
central government rejected some these demands of the khas aadmi.
Activists differ
Scholars and activists working on the
subject of political reforms feel the lawmakers should only enjoy privileges
that enhance their job of lawmaking. "Access to a lounge at airports and
getting free tea and snacks there certainly does not improve their lawmaking
skills," said Professor Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member National Election
Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms.
"The mindset of the people who get
elected is that of rulers. The mindset of being special and better is the
problem," Chhokar added.
While some parliamentarians are of the
opinion that no freebies should be handed over, the real picture is different.
"People's representative should be
only given workrelated facilities, not anything more than that. Not at all more
privileges," said Ananth Kumar, BJP MP and the party's senior general
secretary.'
"It is time the top leadership of
the main political parties, the Congress and the BJP, including their
presidents, prime ministerial candidates and chief campaigners rise to the
occasion by announcing the withdrawal of a royal treatments so far enjoyed by
elected representatives, several of which cost the exchequer heavily," Delhi-based
RTI activist Subhash Agarwal said.
Benefits
In 2010, when inflation was on a high
and the government was pressing for austerity measures, the MPs gave a big push
to their salary structure and the benefits enjoyed by them.
They gave themselves a threefold hike,
increasing their salaries from Rs.16,000 to Rs.50,000 and the constituency
allowance was doubled to Rs.45,000.
"Every five years we get a salary
hike, whereas people working in private sector get it annually. I don't
understand that when an MP gets reimbursements for official work how can people
call it special treatment," Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit said.
In addition, parliamentarians are
entitled to an interest free loan of Rs.4 lakh for the purchase of a vehicle,
which was increased from Rs.1 lakh. The monthly pension for former MPs was also
increased from Rs.8,000 to Rs.20,000 with an additional hike of Rs.1,500
annually.
Lawmakers are entitled to 4,000 kilo
litres of water every year which is much more than the 240 kilo litres promised
by Kejriwal to the aam aadmi in Delhi. Even the 50 per cent reduction on offer
to the people of Delhi for 400 units of electricity usage is no match to what
the parliamentarians get - 50,000 units free electricity all year.
They also enjoy the privilege of
getting 34 business class air tickets for domestic travel in addition to a pass
that entitles them to unlimited rail travel in AC first class along with their
spouses.
It is widely felt that in the
environment of transparency, accountability and a cry to do away with VVIP
culture, parliamentarians need to give up some of these privileges.
"A list of royal facilities being
presently provided to parliamentarians and state legislators should be drawn
and made public with orders given to curtail these to the maximum extent
possible," Agarwal added.
RTI reveals privileged world of
lawmakers
Using the Right to Information (RTI)
Act, activists have managed to dig out data on huge amount of expenses incurred
on parliamentarians, which, surprisingly, have not been paid for.
The RTI has been used effectively to
put into public domain large-scale appointments made by the Lok Sabha Speaker,
Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, chief whips of all major political
parties and chairpersons of parliamentary committees under the discretionary
quota.
An RTI query by activist Subhash
Agarwal revealed the names and salaries of those appointed under the
discretionary quota and who are working in Parliament. The RTI revealed that
nearly 70 people were given jobs under the discretionary quota.
Besides, RTI queries in the past have
revealed the names of several MPs who have continued to receive immunity from
their landline phones getting disconnected despite the non-payment of bills.
There have been also cases when
parliamentarians have gone beyond their entitled limit of phone, electricity
and water usage but have not paid the outstanding amount for months.
For the aam aadmi, a delay in payment
of these bills would automatically lead to disconnection of these amenities,
but the rule does not stand for our lawmakers.
An RTI application has also revealed
that MPs owe Rs.14-15 crore to the governmentowned ITDC hotels for
accommodation. There have been instances when our parliamentarians have
overstayed at these five-star accommodation after an official trip and billed
the amount to the government exchequer.
Another RTI filed by Agarwal in 2012
had revealed how MPs went on study tours on the exchequer's money at a time
when the government was following an austerity measure.
They were accommodated in five-star
hotels in tourist destinations such as Leh, Goa, Dalhousie, Shimla, Port Blair,
Srinagar and Jodhpur.
In addition, MPs are entitled to go
abroad as part of these so called study tours. Such trips are not restricted to
MPs alone as MLAs to 'join in the fun'.
- With inputs from Mail Today in New
Delhi
Flight of fancy
The TV Today Network has accessed the
list of ministers and former secretaries who have enjoyed VIP treatment for
several years even after retirement. The list reveals how a former civil
aviation minister ensured that all former civil aviation ministers who remain
ministers would get special treatment and that their cars would have access to
the tarmac area of airports. This privilege is only for the President, Prime
Minister and few other VVIPs.
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