With Punjab Governor giving assent to the Bill, the way has been paved for a single pension for state MLA irrespective of the terms for which he or she was elected. The AAP government’s move has struck a chord with the people of the state, reports Ramesh Kumar Sharma
Much hyped and one of its kind in the country, the One MLA-One Pension scheme of Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Adama Party (AAP) government in Punjab has come into force, paving the way for a single pension to each state legislator irrespective of the terms for which he or she was elected. The government issued the gazette notification to this effect on August 11, 2022, when Governor Banwarilal Purohit gave his assent to the ‘Punjab State Legislature Members (Regulation of Pension and Medical Facilities) Amendment Bill-2022′ after a gap of about 42 days since it was passed in the legislative assembly. With the issuance of gazette notification, the pension amendment has come into force with immediate effect in the form of an Act in the state.
Under the calculation of the new pension in the Act, every legislator would be entitled to Rs 60 thousand in monthly pension with dearness allowance thereon as admissible to pensioners in the state, irrespective of the number of terms he or she had served. A provision has also been made for an increase in the pension in the Act. If a former MLA reaches the ages of 65, 75, or 80, his monthly pension will be increased by 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. Previously, the MLAs in the state received increased pensions for each term served that resulted in the cumulative pension of some MLAs had reached Rs five to six lakh. The government, in its cabinet meeting held on May 2, last, approved the proposal to amend the Punjab State Legislative Assembly Members (Regulation of Pension and Medical Facilities) Act, 1977, to implement it through an ordinance and sent it to the Governor for approval. The Governor had returned the proposal, suggesting that it be brought in the form of an amendment bill in the forthcoming session of the Legislative Assembly. On this, the government introduced the Pension Amendment Bill in the last session of the Legislative Assembly, passed it on the same day, and sent it to the Governor for approval. One MLA-one pension of the AAP government in the state is being construed as a big political masterstroke. This is indeed a big, historic, and commendable decision in itself, which no other political parties could muster the courage to do while being in power. This decision seems to be in line with public aspirations and sentiments, in which anger and protest are reflected towards the laundering of the exchequer or tax payers’ money on the politicians to provide them with undue benefits and the neglect of basic facilities by the state governments for the public. The decision is also being seen as a concrete step to improve fiscal management, planning and control towards improving the financial health of the state.
