PATNA, Sept 9:
Taking strong objection to steep hike in salaries of MPs and MLAs, BJP MP Varun Gandhi today asserted that their salaries should be increased on the basis of their performance.
Speaking at Parliamentarian Conclave here, Mr Gandhi said the salary of MLAs was nearly doubled in Tamil Naidu only in a day`s discussion when farmers were holding demonstrations with skulls of those cultivators who had committed suicide under financial distress.
He said, salaries of MPs and MLAs were being steeply hiked when the country was faced with the biggest challenge of providing benefits of development to the poor suffering the problem of huge economic disparity.
Mr Gandhi said that the Parliament could transact its listed business only for 60 days in a year for the last 15 years and 51 per cent of bills were passed without debate and 61 per cent of bills were passed without sending them to consultative committees.
He said, the Parliament should be the centre for policy formulation and not only for serving political purpose. (UNI)