Bangalore: Assembly Standoff – Over a Crore Rupees Drained Away Daily !
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jul 14: The citizens of the state are paying through their nose for the expenses concerning the running of the legislature in the state capital. The legislators, who are expected to run the state, have locked horns over iron ore controversy. The non-stop dharna launched by the opposition since Monday has not only brought to the state administration to a standstill, but also has been inflicting heavy losses on the exchequer, which will be in addition to the loss already suffered by way of illegal mining and exports as alleged by the opposition. Unless better sense prevails and the legislature begins to run smoothly, the state will be the loser by way of uncleared projects and non-passage of important bills.
Running of the legislature alone costs around Rs 42 lac to the state, which includes about 30 lac for the assembly and Rs 12 lac for the legislative council. This is apart from the salary and allowances of ministers and legislators. The expenditure of running the legislature has been swelling over the decades, with the repeated passage of bills approving increase in the salary, allowances and perks of the legislators with the support of all the members. However, the legislators do not seem to be showing the same enthusiasm they exhibit in passing bills relating to increasing their income, in doing their work and allowing the legislature to function.
The salary of the officials in the assembly and council add up to Rs 3.21 lac per day, while their allowances amount to Rs 5.07 lac. The departments like police, PWD, horticulture, information and electricity department staff also are involved with the day-to-day functioning of the legislature, and their expenses per day is 0.91 lac, Salary and allowances of the members of the assembly and legislature work out to 8.59 lac rupees per day. Travel allowance paid to them is 16.7 lac, while other allowances cost the exchequer Rs 3.39 lac. Electricity, decoration and civil works also add to the burden of the taxpayer to the extent of 3.85 lac every day.
Every legislator gets Rs 44,000 per month as salary including telephone, constituency allowance, postal allowance and allowance for personal assistants. They also get daily allowance of Rs 600 for every sitting and Rs 10 per km as travel allowance. They are paid Rs 50,000 per year for train and air travel, and Rs 7,500 per month for travel expenses within their constituencies. They get rooms in the Legisators Home in Bangalore at a nominal monthly rent of Rs 100 to Rs 300, depending on the size. Their other allowances include a telephone line on behalf of the government, medical expenses reimbursement, family pension, car purchase loans at 7% per annum interest and Rs 50,000 for purchase of computers.
The time of the legislature is being wasted. It is time all the concerned seriously think of the losses they inflict on the state as a whole and find ways and means to run the show meaningfully. The opposition also would do better and drop the prestige issue and honestly introspect on other practicable means to achieve their objectives, without sacrificing the interests of the people.