Big hike in salaries of high-ups
The House last night unanimously passed three bills for almost doubling the remuneration and privileges for the Speaker, ministers and MPs.
On top of that, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha has taken up a residential project where MPs of the current parliament, who do not have any plot or flat in the capital, would have reserved plots or flats for them.
Law Minister Anisul Huq placed “Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016” and “Member of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2016” before the House yesterday while Agricultural Minister Matia Chowdhury moved the bill “The Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016”.
All three bills were passed by voice votes.
The bills proposed increasing the monthly salary of the Speaker to Tk 1,12,000 from the existing Tk 57,200; for the deputy speaker and ministers to Tk 1,05,000 from Tk 53,100; for state ministers to Tk 92,000 from Tk 47,800; and for deputy ministers to Tk 86,500 from Tk 45,150.
One bill proposed raising the MPs' monthly remuneration to Tk 55,000 from the existing Tk 27,500.
The bills also proposed increasing other privileges and allowances for them.
For journey by air, the Speaker shall be provided with annual insurance coverage of Tk 16 lakh instead of the existing Tk 10 lakh at the government's expense.
The deputy speaker, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers shall be provided with annual insurance coverage of Tk 8 lakh, instead of the existing Tk 5 lakh, for air travel.
The annual discretionary grant for the Speaker shall not exceed Tk 11 lakh, instead of the existing cap of 10 lakh, and for the deputy speaker it would be Tk 10 lakh instead of Tk 8 lakh.
The grant shall not exceed Tk 10 lakh instead of the existing Tk 4 lakh for a minister. For a state minister it is Tk 7.5 lakh instead of Tk 3 lakh and for a deputy minister Tk 5 lakh from the existing Tk 3 lakh, a bill said.
The annual discretionary grant for an MP shall not exceed Tk 5 lakh instead of the existing Tk 3 lakh, said a bill.
The Speaker shall get Tk 13,000 instead of Tk 8,000 as monthly sumptuary allowance, while the deputy speaker shall get Tk 10,000 instead of the current Tk 6,000.
Sumptuary allowance was raised to Tk 10,000 from Tk 6,000 for ministers. It was increased to Tk 7,500 from Tk 4,000 for state ministers and Tk 5,000 from Tk 3,000 for deputy ministers.
If a minister, state minister or deputy minister resides in a house other than his official residence, a minister shall receive monthly house rent of Tk 80,000, and a state minister or deputy minister Tk 70,000, a bill said.
Apart from that, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers will receive an amount equivalent to three months' rent every year.
All utility costs, including telephone bills, at such residences would be paid by the government.
A minister shall be paid Tk 2,000 instead of Tk 750 as daily allowance for absence from the headquarters, while a state minister or deputy minister will get Tk 1,500 instead of Tk 600, a bill said.
An MP shall receive a monthly constituency allowance of Tk 12,500 instead of the existing Tk 7,500.
Besides, an MP will get Tk 5,000 instead of Tk 3,000 as monthly sumptuary allowance, Tk 70,000 in lieu of Tk 40,000 as monthly transport allowance, Tk 1,500 in place of Tk 1,000 as monthly laundry allowance, Tk 6,000 instead of Tk 4,000 as monthly miscellaneous allowance, Tk 1,20,000 instead of Tk 75,000 as annual travel allowance, a bill said.
Replying to lawmakers' queries, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossen told parliament yesterday that plots or flats will be reserved for current parliament MPs, who do not have their own homes in the capital, at the Rajuk housing project “Keraniganj Model Town”, which has an area of 2,290 acres.
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