Ordinance promulgated to reduce salaries of MPs by 30 per cent to fund fight against COVID-19

An ordinance to amend a law to reduce the salaries of Members of Parliament by 30 per cent for one year "to meet the exigencies arising out of COVID-19 pandemic" was promulgated on Tuesday. The Salary, Allowances And Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 will come into force immediately.

The ordinance will insert a new sub-section in the Salary, Allowances And Pension of Members of Parliament Act 1954 to give effect to reduction in salaries. "Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the salary payable to Members of Parliament under sub section (1) shall be reduced by thirty per cent for a period of one year commencing from the 1st April, 2020, to meet the exigencies arising out of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," the new provision says.

The ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Monday. A bill to replace the ordinance will be brought in the next session of Parliament.

The ordinance states that the coronavirus pandemic has shown the importance of expeditious relief and assistance and therefore, it is necessary to take "certain emergency measures to prevent and contain the spread of this pandemic". "... In order to manage and control such situation, it has become necessary to raise resources by reduction of salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament...," the ordinance says. While Lok Sabha has 543 members, Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245.

A member of Parliament draws a salary of Rs one lakh per month and a constituency allowance of Rs 70,000 per month, besides other allowances..

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