AIZAWL, Nov 24: Corruption watchdog-turned-political party PRISM (People’s
Representatives for Identity
and Status of Mizoram) has
slammed the hike in salaries
and allowances of MLAs by a
whopping 130.77 percent.
The Mizoram Assembly
recently passed Amendment
Bills by which the salaries and
allowances of the Chief Minister, Speaker, Deputy
Speaker, MLAs, Ministers
and Leader of Opposition
have been hiked.
The monthly salary and allowances of MLAs were
hiked from the existing Rs
65,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh, a rise
of about 130.77 percent. The
revised salaries will come
into effect once it is notified
in the gazette.
In a statement, PRISM
media wing chairman TBC
Lalvenchhunga said that considering the State’s poor financial health, it is highly inappropriate to hike the salaries and allowances of MLAs
while their wealth usually
increases six to seven times
during their five-year term.
“The remarks by the ruling MLAs during the discussion on the Bills in the State
Assembly that raising their
salaries was necessary because they had to cater to the
needs of the people of their
constituencies was shameful,” Lalvenchhunga said
PRISM said that the salaries
and allowances of the MLAs
were also revised in 2010.
According to the affidavits
filed by the candidates before
2013 elections, most of the
MLAs’ wealth increased
manifold during their fiveyear term.
Former Congress minister Zodintluanga, whose
wealth increased the least,
became richer by Rs 75
lakh between 2008 and
2013, he said.
As many as 166 candidates of the 2018 elections
were crorepatis, of whom
36 were elected. The
number of crorepatis
among the MLAs in Mizoram increased from 30 in
the previous Assembly to
36 in the current Assembly.
The Association for
Democratic Reforms has
estimated the average
wealth of the 40 MLAs at
Rs 5 crores, he said.
“Among the MLAs, Robert Romawia Royte is the
richest with declared assets
worth Rs 44 crores. His
statement in the House that
being an MLA had put additional financial burden on
him made us think that he
has totally forgotten his responsibility as the people’s
representative,” Lalvenchhunga said.
He pointed out that the average wealth of MLAs in Mizoram has increased from Rs
2.66 crores to Rs 3.78 crores
from 2013 to 2018.
“While the wealth of our
representatives keeps on increasing, the wealth of the
people they are supposed to
serve is diminishing. There
is a general concept that it is
impossible for those who are
not crorepati to contest elections. It is truly disheartening to see that the crorepati
MLAs are so enthusiastic
about hiking their own salaries,” Lalvenchhunga said. - Assam Tribune
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