Opposing more than one monthly pension to the sitting and former Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab MLAs have demanded for ‘One MLA – One Pension’ rule.
A delegation of the AAP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to Punjab Assembly Speaker, Rana KP Singh. The AAP MLAs included Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Principal Budh Ram, Meet Hayer, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Pandori, Jai Singh Rodi and Amarjit Singh Sandoa. As per the existing rules, the monthly pension of MLAs multiplies with each term (of five years or even less) served by them.
According to the memorandum, the AAP MLAs opposed more than one monthly pension for MLAs, who had become a legislator more than once. It said such financial gain in the name of increments etc, was morally and theoretically wrong. Therefore, a MLA should be given the same pension as a government employee, no matter if he had become MLA more than once.
Cheema said the taxpayers have full control over the exchequer of Punjab and no individual has the right to misuse the tax paid by the taxpayers for the welfare of the country and Punjab in any way. He said the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had stopped the pensions of Punjab government employees in the name of reforms in 2004, which was strongly opposed by the entire employees and pensioners community but it continues till date.
Cheema questioned why the legislators did not remember the various monthly pensions received by the MLAs or former MLAs in the name of increment while taking decisions like discontinuation of working class pensions. “The Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs concerned should give the answer to the people,” he added. Cheema said all the MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party were against more than one pension rule per MLA.
He said the AAP legislators had demanded Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh that in the forthcoming Assembly session, the law should be passed with the consent of all the MLAs to abolish more than one pension rule and restore the old pension scheme for government employees, because the Aam Aadmi Party is adamant that all persons should be given facilities in accordance with the principle of equality.