Hikes for them, woes for us

On the last day of the just concluded session of the two Houses, Karnataka legislators gifted themselves hikes in salary, perks and allowances without batting an eyelid. The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (amendment) Bill-2022 and the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (amendment) Bill-2022 were passed by a voice vote amid the din raised by the Opposition Congress party members who staged a dharna. The bill added an extra feather to their cap with salaries and attendant allowances set to go up automatically every five years from now onwards.

The salary hike is a ritual that usually comes on the ultimate day of the session. Symbolic protests by members of the Left—if any of them are left at all— have marred the otherwise consensual decisions. But finally, everything ends on a happy note.

Everyone knows that legislators hold the state kitty in their hands and are entitled to gift themselves whatever they deem fit for the work they do. And they obviously feel no prick of conscience while awarding themselves benefits no ordinary Indian can even dream of.

The hike in monthly salary is understandable— from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000 for the Chief Minister and from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 40,000 for legislators. But the enhancement of house rent, house maintenance allowance, guest allowance, sumptuary allowance, travel allowance, and above all, raising of the monthly entitlement of petrol from 1,000 litres to 2,000 litres per month for ministers, is sure to raise eyebrows.

Not to be missed is the point that there is no bar on many of them carrying on their professions as lawyers, journalists or chartered accountants during their non-session days. One wonders if a common Indian can dream of even a fraction of such hikes these rich lawmakers have approved for themselves without much hassles.

Of late, the average duration of Legislature sessions has been dipping constantly. It is well below 70 days annually in most of the states.

Of the few days that legislators are supposed to meet and debate, much gets wasted in sparring, adjournments, closure of business after the customary obituary references, weekends, and pandemonium over some issue.

Should not legislators be accountable for loss of precious transactional hours and the lack of business expected of them?

It is also pertinent to ask if the legislators can decide for themselves what they need to be paid and allowed to carry home as perks. A democratic polity without such scrutiny is likely to attract erosion of public trust and credibility.