Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 22: With BJP-PDP combine raining perks, freebies on MLAs and Ministers by doubling all their allowances and perks while showing empty coffers to the under-employed and other lower rung employees of the State, a large number of Panthers Party activists led by party chairman Harsh Dev Singh staged a protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground here today.
While raising anti-Govt slogans, the agitated protesters accused the coalition of siphoning the public exchequer notwithstanding the much hyped slogans of financial crunch in the state.
Expressing his shock and chagrin over the persistent extra ordinary hikes in the pecuniary benefits to the 125 legislators by the State Government, Harsh Dev Singh described the sops as organized loot of the tax payers’ money. He said that just three weeks ago, the State Government had enhanced the motor car advance of legislators to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh. Likewise, their entitlement for the housing loan was raised to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh at the interest rate of nominal 4% per annum while their travelling allowance was enhanced to Rs 1.50 lakh from 1 lakh, Harsh Dev divulged.
Singh said that now by proposing doubling of the sitting allowance of the legislators from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per session, it had been virtually clear that the State Govt was only focused to enrich and flourish them on priority. He recalled that last year BJP-PDP had doubled the emoluments of legislators from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,60,000 and those of their PAs and during January this year, MLAs CDF was doubled to Rs 3 crore from Rs 1.5 crore, putting an additional burden of Rs 187 crore on the State exchequer. He said that while the Govt was averse to the hardships faced by the common man, law makers were enjoying whopping hikes in their salaries and perks.
Describing the Govt decision as a gross violation of propriety, probity and morality, Harsh Dev said that the Ministers and MLAs of the unholy coalition had one point agenda of looting the public exchequer. He said that while it showed dry coffers to the workers, employees, pensioners, unemployed and underemployed educated youth of the State, the legislators were enjoying all the luxuries of life.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included BS Mankotia, Rajesh Padgotra, GP Singh, Parshotam Parihar, Shanker Singh and others.
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