Hike for ministers

A DAY LATER

The Union Budget for 2008-09 had goodies for everyone from farmers to the middle class salaried person, and in the minutiae of the Budget, the Union council of ministers too got a hike in their allocation.

The council of ministers have seen their allocations go up from Rs 197.88 crore in the revised estimates for 2007-08 to Rs 212.23 crore in the Budget estimates for 2009.

What is more significant is the fact that in the Budget estimates of 2007-08, the amount allocated was Rs 125.14 crore. Therefore, comparing the Budget estimates for the two years, the allocation seems to have gone up almost Rs 1 crore per minister.

A minister in the Union council of ministers normally receives a salary equivalent to that of a member of Parliament, which is around Rs 16,000 per month.

In addition to this, a minister gets a daily allowance of Rs 1,000 per day. In the case of an MP, the allowance of Rs 1,000 is given only when the House is in session or when ministers are called for committee meetings.

Ministers are also allowed an extensive staff, whose salary, medical and expenses are paid for as part of the entitlements of a minister.

A Cabinet minister, for instance, is entitled to one private secretary, two additional private secretaries, two assistant private secretaries. One first personal assistant and a second personal assistant are also allowed.

The telephone bills for the minister's constituency and one for a connection at his residence are also paid for by the government of India.

In addition, ministers are given rent free bungalows to live in, official transport, petrol requirements, and drivers and personal security officers by the government.

In addition to all this, they also have a budget for renovation of their homes and offices. In a democracy for and of the people, the people's representative is certainly the first among equals.