Miffed over employees’ comments on providing actual cost of the stay for MLAs during tours outside the state, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday asked them to contest elections to get benefits of pension.
The CM made the remarks while replying to a point of order raised by Congress member Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on increase in the allowance for a night stay during MLAs tours outside the state.
Thakur stated that the state government hadn’t increased allowances of legislators and instead had approved a provision for providing actual cost of stay up to Rs 7,500 during tours outside the state.
“The employees are commenting that the MLAs are making merry on government funds while it didn’t have money to grant pension to them.
Such government employees should quit their jobs to avail benefits of pension,” the Chief Minister said.
Thakur further stated that he had looked into the issue and there was no truth in it. But this had sent a wrong message to the general public and inappropriate comments were being made against the legislative assembly members while the fact was that some of them had not been able to expend the earlier limit of Rs 4 lakh.
Some employees are even saying that the members were making merry on government funds and they were being denied pension benefits on the lines of old pension scheme. The expenditure limit for MLAs was increased to Rs 4 lakh earlier as compared to Rs 2.50 lakh during previous Congress regime and no hike was made in the Cabinet meeting on Monday, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that the state government in the Cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to provide Rs 7,500 allowance to ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs for boarding during tours outside the state. This has been done as many times the MLAs aren’t able to get booking in Himachal Bhawans or Sadans.
Earlier, Sukhu, while raising point of order, said the news published today had mentioned the raise in allowance during tours in a wrong manner and it was an issue of breach of privilege of the house.
This had resulted in tarnishing of MLAs’ image in the general public and urged the CM and house to give clarification on the issue, he added.
HP Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar said he will look into the issue and he will take action accordingly after examining all facts.