Raise in salaries of Punjab MPs: Big brother leaves everyone far behind

ISLAMABAD: The salaries of the members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) and ministers raised by the provincial assembly exceed the pays of their counterparts in all the provinces and at the federal level.

Similarly, the salaries of the Punjab Speaker and chief minister surpass the pays of all of their counterparts at the provincial and central levels. Apart from allowances, an MNA draws a monthly pay of Rs150,000 while an MPA will get Rs190,000 per mensem.

Likewise, the national speaker is getting Rs200,000 as the monthly salary while his counterpart in Punjab will be paid Rs260,000 per mensem. Under the act governing the salaries, allowances and privileges of the MPs and cabinet members, a federal minister draws a pay of Rs200,000 whereas a member of the Punjab cabinet will now get Rs260,000. A minister of state is entitled to Rs180,000 as the monthly salary.

Apart from the salary, an MPA will receive Rs50,000 per month as house rent. Former chief ministers, who do not have their own house in Lahore, would be given official residence in the provincial capital.

In contrast, a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is paid a basic salary of Rs80,000 per month and a sumptuous allowance of Rs4,800. The house rent stands at Rs30,000 while utility bills worth Rs,4800 are paid by the government. For travelling, the legislator is given Rs1,600 per day for accommodation while free travel worth Rs120,000 per annum is specified. The telephone and office maintenance stipend is Rs10,000 each.

In May 2017, the Sindh Assembly increased the salary, allowances, perks and privileges to each legislator from Rs72,600 to Rs145,000 per month.

Salaries of the speaker and deputy speaker were increased to Rs150,000 and Rs140,000 respectively, from Rs80,000 and Rs70,000. The chief minister became entitled to Rs150,000 per month against Rs35,000 and Rs20,000 as sumptuary allowance against Rs13,000.

The salary of a minister was raised to Rs75,000 from Rs30,000 and that of an MPA to Rs50,000 from Rs24,000. Besides salary, a sum of Rs1,000,000 in a year will be placed at the disposal of the chief minister and 500,000 at the disposal of a minister for making discretionary grants.

The chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker will be entitled to unlimited petrol while a minister and adviser will get 400 litres per month.

In January 2017, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly increased monthly salaries of the chief minister, his cabinet members, and MPAs. After the raise, the chief minister’s salary increased from Rs40,000 to Rs200,000 while the pay of each cabinet member – including minister, adviser, special assistant and parliamentary secretary – was raised from Rs35,000 per month to Rs180,000 per month.

Salaries of the speaker and deputy speaker were also increased from Rs80,000 to Rs150,000 and from Rs54,000 to Rs145,000, respectively. The monthly salary of each MPA was increased from Rs18,000 to Rs80,000. Apart from a basic salary of Rs150,000, an MNA is also entitled to Rs8,000 per month for office maintenance, free landline or cash compensation worth Rs10,000 with a sumptuary allowance of Rs5,000.

The allowances allotted to an MNA throughout a session or a standing committee meeting include daily allowance worth Rs3,000 (special) and Rs1,750 (ordinary) per day, Rs2,000 for conveyance and housing in the capital while a business class plane ticket with a Rs150 voucher or one seat in the air-conditioned compartment of a train and another in 2nd class compartment is provided by the federal government. If a member chooses to travel by road, they are compensated Rs10 per kilometer.

Annual travel stipend includes Rs300,000 voucher or Rs90,000 in cash, 20 business class air tickets – which can be utilised by the lawmakers or their family members.

According to Members of Parliament (salaries and allowances) Act, the national speaker and leader of the opposition are entitled to salaries and privileges of a federal minister. Hence, they are admissible to a basic salary of Rs200,000 with one-time equipment allowance of Rs5,000 along with the expense incurred by the speaker or opposition leaders and their family members while moving to the capital where the government provides official residence and Rs22,000 per month in utility bills. If the speaker or opposition leader does not take up official residence, they are compensated with a cheque of Rs103,125 per month.