MLCs refuse pay hike
Two members of legislative council (MLCs) representating teachers’ constituency have decided not to accept recently approved pay hike by the state legislature to members of legislative assembly and council.
In a letter written to legislative council chairman Ram Raj Naik-Nimbalkar, Shrikant Deshpande, MLC from Amravati Teachers Constituency said, “I can not accept this pay hike when state government has not done anything to give pay hike to teachers in unaided schools for last 15 years.”
He has further said, ‘We had not asked for this hike, we don’t even require this hike, even then we got one and that too without any discussion in the house.”
Another MLC who has denied himself a pay hike is Datary Sawant a MLC from Pune Teachers’ constituency.
It may be recalled that, on Friday both the houses of state legislature passed pay hike to MLAs and MLCs. The pay was almost doubled from present Rs.75, 000 to Rs.1.5 lakh and linked to the salary of principal secretary. The salaries of ministers, leaders of opposition in both the houses, speaker of assembly and chairman of council were made equivalent of the chief secretary.
However justifying decision to increase the hikes of MLAs and MLCs, senior NCP leader and former union minister Sharad Pawar said, “The people’s representatives have to maintain offices at both Mumbai and in constituency and maintaining two offices are very difficult in present salary.”
In a letter written to legislative council chairman Ram Raj Naik-Nimbalkar, Shrikant Deshpande, MLC from Amravati Teachers Constituency said, “I can not accept this pay hike when state government has not done anything to give pay hike to teachers in unaided schools for last 15 years.”
He has further said, ‘We had not asked for this hike, we don’t even require this hike, even then we got one and that too without any discussion in the house.”
When contacted Deshpande said, “This proposal to increase pay was passed in a minute. None of us were allowed to speak. So when I came out, I got calls from scores of teachers congratulating me for getting our pay hike passed and doing nothing for them. I wrote immediately to the chairperson that I do not want the increased pay hike.’’
Another MLC who has denied himself a pay hike is Datary Sawant a MLC from Pune Teachers’ constituency.
It may be recalled that, on Friday both the houses of state legislature passed pay hike to MLAs and MLCs. The pay was almost doubled from present Rs.75, 000 to Rs.1.5 lakh and linked to the salary of principal secretary. The salaries of ministers, leaders of opposition in both the houses, speaker of assembly and chairman of council were made equivalent of the chief secretary.
However justifying decision to increase the hikes of MLAs and MLCs, senior NCP leader and former union minister Sharad Pawar said, “The people’s representatives have to maintain offices at both Mumbai and in constituency and maintaining two offices are very difficult in present salary.”
