Rajya Sabha chairman K R Narayanan yesterday set-up a committee under deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah to suggest measures that should be taken to give more amenities to parliamentarians.
The committee is likely to meet today in order to submit its report to Narayanan within a day or two. The constitution of the committee was necessitated in view of demands from some members of the Rajya Sabha that a cabinet decision was not needed for giving more amenities to MPs.
The committee is likely to consider increasing the number of free telephone calls from 50, 000 per year at present to about one lakh and increasing the constituency allowance, including use of government vehicles by MPs for a limited period when they visit their constituencies.
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Some MPs have made a strong plea for secretariat facilities for enhancing the quality of their parliamentary work. They argued for a secretariat allowance which they say should come in the form of office maintenance, appointment of a typist, computer operator etc. The lap top given to each MP would be useless unless a computer operator is also appointed, a member of the committee on MPs salaries and allowance said.
The parliamentarians also want a semi-furnished accommodation that should have facilities for geysers. Free electricity units per year enjoyed them should be linked to the quality of accommodation provided, he said.
The Rajya Sabha committee is also likely to consider MPs demand that their family members, instead of one companion, should be allowed free air journeys. The parliamentarians are allowed 28 free intermediate air journeys. A majority of MPs have also demanded that there should be a provision for members to carry forward their free intermediate air journeys throughout their term of office, a senior member of the committee said.
Some members of the committee on MP salaries and allowances are peeved at the failure of the cabinet to take immediate follow up action.
Changing rules is one way to get the amenities enhanced, although a cabinet decision would be needed for revision of MPs salaries.
They have now decided to take up the issue in two parts- one for salaries and allowances, which would be taken care of by the cabinet, and the other for giving more amenities. The second issue would be tackled by the two houses.
These members argued that the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha speakers were competent to approve any change in the parliamentary rules. Cabinet approval was necessary only when an amendment in the act was necessary, they contended. Narayanan reportedly agreed to grant assent to the committees suggestions.
The Lok Sabha has already considered the issue in detail.
At a meeting of Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma with Rajya Sabha functionaries and officials of the finance ministry in December, 1996, there was a consensus that the then Union government should bring an amendment to increase MPs salaries and allowances and enhancing the amenities enjoyed by them.
Among the members of the new Rajya Sabha committee are SB Chavan and Margaret Alva (Congress), Sikander Bakht and Satish Agarwal (BJP), Biplab Dasgupta (CPI-M), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Renuka Choudhury (TDP).