Bihar MLAs to get salary, perks

As the impasse over formation of a government continued in Bihar, the central government today decided to bring in an ordinance to pay salaries to newly-elected members of the Assembly.

Bihar is one of the few states to have a law that says legislators cannot be paid their salaries until they are sworn in as MLAs. Nor are they entitled to any of the other perks or allowances.

The Bihar Legislature (Members' Salaries, Allowances and Pension) Act, 1960, prohibits any MLA from drawing salary until the member has taken the oath of affirmation.

"With a view to facilitate the newly-elected members to draw their salaries and allowances, the Union government has initiated steps for issuing a proclamation under Article 356 for revoking suspension of Article 195 of the Constitution," an official notification said.

The move would pave the way for issuing of an ordinance to amend the Bihar Legislature (Members' Salaries, Allowances and Pension) Act.

Ramvilas Paswan of the Lok Janashakti Party has been agitating for salaries and pensions to be paid to MLAs through a special dispensation.

Ostensibly, this is to strike a blow for the rights of elected representatives of the people. But it is a means to keep his party together, which has been under pressure from various quarters. Also MLAs are faced with the prospects of an indefinite spell of homelessness and without a means of livelihood to sustain themselves.

Paswan has met Governor Buta Singh several times on this issue and has also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address the issue.

The President's rule was imposed in Bihar on March 7 as no party could stake a claim to form a government due to the fractured mandate thrown up by the Assembly polls. The Assembly has been under suspended animation with no member taking oath.

The ordinance will have to be made a law within six months. It is possible that it will become infructous because elections might be held before that. The promulgation of the ordinance means that the Congress is working in tandem with the LJP and to the detriment of Lalu Prasad.

Meanwhile, the governor today told reports in Patna that "horse-trading" was on to instal a government in the state and asserted that nobody would be allowed to "malign" the Constitution.

The governor's assertion comes amid reports that after rejection of Paswan's new initiative to help form a RJD-led government, NDA leaders have stepped up efforts to instal a ministry headed by JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar with the help of MLAs of other parties.

"I am getting reliable information from officials and individuals that "kuch kuch ho raha hai(something is going on). I am keeping a close watch over the situation," he said.

"Laws are there to check horse-trading. I will not allow anybody to break the laws and form a government by maligning the constitutional norms," the governor said.