SC remarks on pension to MPs unite govt, Opposition

New Delhi: In a veiled message to the judiciary, Union finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday stated that Parliament alone has authority to decide on how much pension MPs can draw and inter-institutional discipline has to be respected.

The statement comes a day after the Supreme Court sought response from the Centre and the Election Commission of India on a plea seeking scrapping of pension and other perks of members of Parliament.

“It is unquestionably a clear constitutional position that public money can only be spent with the authority of Parliament and, therefore, Parliament is the one and only authority that determines how public funds are to be spent,” he said.

“This is an authority of Parliament. No other institution can really exercise that power; it is only the Parliament which can exercise that power. Therefore, who is entitled to pension, what the quantum of pension is and so on, is an area which exclusively falls within the domain of the Parliament. That is the position of this government,” Mr Jaitley said.

Opposition members had expressed concern over the apex court’s reported comments that 80 per cent former legislators are “crorepatis” (millionaires). “I understand the sentiments expressed by members and the government would always stick to this position. I think, as part of inter-institutional discipline, this is a constitutional position which all institutions will eventually have to respect,” Mr Jaitley added.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) had through a point-of-order raised the issue saying the image of the MPs is being sullied as if they are appropriating huge public monies as salaries and pension without working. He said some former MPs were living “a pauper’s life” and the children of a former law maker in Uttar Pradesh were working as labourers and artisans.

Jairam Ramesh (Congress) said he was astonished to read that a survey had found that 80 per cent of the ex-MPs were millionaires. As deputy chairman P.J. Kurien asked him to seek remedy in the courts and not criticise the judiciary, Mr Ramesh said 80 per cent of the present MPs would not be millionaires when their term comes to an end.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday reportedly said the pension and perks to MPs seemed ‘prima facie’ unreasonable and had sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission of India on a plea seeking the scrapping of pension and other perks being given to Members of Parliament.