CALCULATION: As discontent swells in West Bengal over pending excessive price severance pay arrears to state authorities workers, who’ve already noticed a one-day strike and two-day feather strike, a pointy enhance in spending on salaries, allowances and different entitlements of ministers and legislators obtained explicit consideration.
A debate over this subject erupted following a remark by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development and Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Firhad Hakim, that the state authorities believes in paying to the poor and financially marginalized sections of society somewhat than giving extra to those that are already effectively paid.
After this remark from Hakim, questions come up: when the state authorities doesn’t consider in paying extra to those that are already sufficiently paid, then what was the rationale for growing the charges of ministers and legislators on a number of events since over the previous 12 years.
Finance Ministry sources stated that on the finish of the present monetary 12 months of 2022-23, expenditure on salaries, allowances and different entitlements of ministers and legislators is anticipated to be round Rs 52 crore, in comparison with round Rs 33 crore in 2021. -22.
According to finance division information, in 2010-2011, which is the final 12 months of the 34-year-old Left Front rule in West Bengal, the whole expenditure from the Treasury was simply over Rs 4 crore. At the identical time, the month-to-month salaries of ministers have additionally elevated considerably over the previous 12 years. This is along with their proper to each day wages like all different MPs.
Until 2011, the each day allowance for all legislators was set at Rs 750 and the quantity was the identical for abnormal legislators and people holding ministerial portfolios. However, at present, an abnormal legislator is entitled to a each day allowance of Rs 2,000 and the quantity is Rs 3,000 for these holding ministerial portfolios.
Until 2011, the Chief Minister was entitled to a month-to-month wage of Rs 8,500, which is now Rs 1,17,000 along with one other entitlement of Rs 1,81,800 per thirty days which incorporates allowances. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, nevertheless, is staying at her personal residence in Kalighat in South Kolkata and has not accepted any authorities lodging. His predecessor and chief minister of the Left Front regime, Buddadehb Bhattacharjee, additionally used to reside in a two-room house in Palm Avenue in south Kolkata, the place he nonetheless resides together with his spouse Meera Bhattacharya.
Also in accordance with Ministry of Finance information, until 2011 ministers obtained a month-to-month wage of Rs 7,500, which is now round Rs 22,000. According to information, a minister at present receives a month-to-month quantity of Rs 1, 22,000 which incorporates his wage as a minister, per diems as MPs and different statutory entitlements.
An abnormal legislator at present attracts a month-to-month quantity of Rs 82,000. Professor of Economics, PK (*20*) believes that there isn’t a problem in growing the salaries, allowances and different entitlements of ministers and legislators.
“Under the earlier regime it was extraordinarily low and even now it’s fairly low in comparison with different main states within the nation. Such questions in all probability wouldn’t have arisen if there had been not less than some parity between the ‘dearness allowance obtained by the state authorities with that of their counterparts within the Union authorities. It just isn’t that the rise in salaries and entitlements of ministers and legislators have been carried out in a current previous. Numerous time has handed for the reason that hike was carried out. But these points had by no means been raised earlier than. “There are certainly reasons why these issues are being raised now,” he stated. he declares.
The present hole between the dearness allowance of state authorities workers and that of their Union authorities counterparts is round 32%. The joint state authorities workers discussion board already noticed a one-day strike on Friday, preceded by a two-day strike in February.
For political observer Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay, it’s not solely the large deficit of pricy allowances that has raised questions concerning the salaries and allowances of ministers and elected officers. “In my opinion, some insensitive comments from some of the ruling party leaders about the agitators on the issue have fueled this issue at this stage. Such comments and statements were truly unwarranted,” he added.
