Revised salary structure for MPS to be effective from Dec.12

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) The government today said that the revised salary structure for Members of Parliament would be effective from December 12 and not from September 14 as the retrospective effect to the Bill already passed by Parliament in this regard would run contrary to the 1954 Act.

Making a Suo Motu statement in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri said the Salary, Allowances and Pension of MPs (Amendment) Act, 2006 was notified on September 15, 2006.

He said the Law Ministry has pointed out that section 9 of the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of the Parliament Act, 1954 relating to the power of the Joint Committee to make rules do not have a provision for giving retrospective effect to the Rules to be framed under the Act and therefore these rules ''if given a retrospective effect, will be ultra vires of the Act of 1954.

In view of the above, Mr Pachauri said that it was decided to notify the Rules with prospective effect and to consider the question of amending Section 9 of the Act to make provision to give retrospective effect to the rules after following the due procedures.

As per the Amendment Act, the salary and daily allwance of the MPs were revised to Rs 16,000 per month and Rs 1000 per day with effect from September 14,2006.

The other provisions of the Act --revised road mileage of Rs 13 per kilometer, revised minimum pension of Rs 8000 per month, revised minimum family pension of Rs 4000 per month etc were made effective with effect from September 15,2006.

Mr Pachauri said during the discussion of this Bill in RAjya Sabha on Auguts 23, 2006, increase was also proposed in Constituency Allowance to Rs 20,000 per month, office expense allowance to Rs 20,000 per month, revision in the ceiling of durable and non-durable furniture to Rs 60,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.

UNI/SKS-RT VD RS1706