New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The Centre has increased the salaries, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament with effect from April 1, 2023, according to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on Monday. The salary of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members has been raised to Rs 1.24 lakh per month from Rs 1 lakh at present, whereas the daily allowance has been raised to Rs 2,500 from Rs 2,000 earlier, the notification states. The pension paid to former MPs has also been increased to Rs 31,000 per month from Rs 25,000 at present, as per the notification.

The additional pension for every year of service in excess of five years has been increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 2,000 earlier, the notification states. The revision in salaries, allowances and pensions for the MPs has been announced amid the ongoing budget session of the Parliament. The earlier revision of the salary and allowances paid to sitting and former MPs was announced in April 2018. The base pay for an MP announced in the revision in 2018 was Rs 1,00,000 per month. The purpose of setting this amount was to bring their salary into line with the rates of inflation and the growing cost of living.

According to the 2018 revision, MPs receive an allowance of Rs 70,000 as constituency allowance to pay for the costs of keeping their offices up to date and interacting with voters in their respective districts. Apart from this, they receive Rs 60,000 per month as office allowance and Rs 2,000 as a daily allowance during Parliamentary sessions. These allowances will also be increased now.

In addition to this, MPs also get an allowance annually for phone and internet usage. They enjoy 34 free domestic flights per year for themselves and their families, and first class train travel at any time for professional and personal use. They can also claim mileage allowance when they use roads. MPs also enjoy the benefits of 50,000 free units of electricity and 4,000 kilolitres of water annually. The government takes care of their housing and accommodation too. During their five-year term, MPs are provided with rent-free housing in New Delhi. They could get hostel rooms, apartments, or bungalows based on their seniority. Individuals who opt not to utilise the official accommodations are eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance.

/IANS