Implement recommendations of Par panel on MPs' wages: SP MP

A demand for implementation of the report of a Parliamentary Committee headed by Yogi Adityanath on wages and allowances of MPs was made in the Rajya Sabha today.
Raising the issue, Naresh Agrawal (SP) said the government should not be afraid of the media and implement the Committee's recommendations.
He claimed that every member wanted the recommendations to be implemented but the government was "afraid" of the media and has not implemented it.
"MPs are not able to maintain three houses," he said.
The remark however drew rebuke from Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Cong) who wondered which MP maintains three houses. While two houses - one in the constituency and one in Delhi - are understandable, the third house is not, he said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the issue was whether the MPs should decide their own salaries.

To this, Agrawal said the matter has been decided by a Joint Committee.
"How much are editors (of news organisations) getting? How much has the 7th Pay Commission given to government employees," he said, adding that MPs too needed higher wages because of inflation.
He sought a response from Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Jaitley, who was present, did not respond.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad (Cong) said he supported the submission by Agrawal and fear of the media was preventing implementation of the committee report.

"One-fourth of what electronic media editors get, will be good enough for MPs," he remarked.