Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 2: The Legislative Council today passed 10 significant bills including two aimed at doubling salary and allowances of legislators and pension of former legislators and another one which provided for levy on Entertainment Duty.
The bills for doubling salaries and allowances of legislators (both MLAs and MLCs) and increase in salaries of the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State and increasing in pension of former legislators were moved in the Council by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri.
The bills were passed unanimously without any amendments.
The bills would now go to Governor NN Vohra and, after his assent, would become legislation, paving the way for increase in salary and allowances of the Chief Minister, Ministers and legislators and pension of former legislators.
The Council also passed another bill moved by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb A Drabu proposing levy of an Entertainment Duty in respect of Admission to Public Entertainments. The bill was passed unanimously.
The first two bills proposed to increase salary and allowances of the members of State Legislature from present Rs 80,000 per month to Rs 1,60,000 per month. The bill also enhanced the salary of the Chief Minister from Rs 45,000 to Rs 70,000 and Cabinet Ministers from Rs 40,000 to Rs 65,000 per month. It raised the salary of Ministers of State from Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000 per month.
Presently, the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister stood at Rs 90,000 per month. With Rs 25,000 increase, they would go up to Rs 1.15 lakh. Similarly, the salaries and allowances of Cabinet Ministers, which were Rs 85,000 per month, would now stand at Rs 1.10 lakh while salaries and allowances of the Ministers of State would go up from Rs 80,000 per month to Rs 1.05 lakh.
The Ministers, in addition, are also entitled to TA/DA and several other free facilities like accommodation, vehicles, petrol etc.
The pension of former MLAs/MLCs will be enhanced from Rs 28,000 per month to Rs 50,000 per month in addition to Rs 5,000 medical allowances to which they were already entitled every month.
Other bills passed by the Council included a Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Brick Kilns (Regulation) Act, 2010, which was moved by Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Choudhary Zulfkar Ali.
A Bill to provide for the regulation of chit funds in the State and another bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir General Sales Tax Act, both moved by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb A Drabu were also passed unanimously in the Upper House.
A Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, moved by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq was also passed. The bill proposed election of Sarpanchs by the Panchs instead of their direct election.
A Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir State Commission for Backward Classes Act, which was moved by Minister for Social Welfare Sajad Gani Lone, was passed by the Legislative Council.
Yet another bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, moved by Minister for Rural Development, Law, Justice and Panchayati Raj, Abdul Haq Khan on behalf of Minster for Revenue Relief and Rehabilitation Basharat Bukhari and a bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Civic Laws (Special Provisions) Act, moved by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Asiea Naqash were also passed by the Upper House.
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