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Punjab MLAs unite, gift
themselves huge pay hike
WSN Network
CHANDIGARH: At a
time when the state is reeling under a fund crunch and Finance
Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s Budget’s depicted a huge revenue and
fiscal deficit, the Punjab legislators managed to get a bonanza — a
substantial hike in salaries, allowances and perks.
Vidhan Sabha
Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon on Saturday tabled a report and the
House unanimously adopted the recommendations of the General
Purposes Committee (GPC) for enhancement in salary and perks of
legislators.
None of the
Congress MLAs, who had pulled up the government for improper
management of the state finances, opposed the recommendations.
Though Manpreet
Badal said the report needed to be cleared from the Cabinet, the
Speaker overruled him and said since it had been tabled in the
House, it should be considered cleared and implemented with effect
from April 1, 2009. massive hike in salary and perks also includes a
new laptop for each MLA, more petrol to roam about, more loans for
houses and even a sanction to furnish personal homes with tax
payer's money.
15
July 2009
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