Chandigarh, August 17
Opposing more than one monthly pension to the MLAs and former MLAs, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab MLAs have demanded for ‘One MLA – One Pension’ rule. In this regard, a delegation of the AAP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to Punjab Assembly Speaker, Rana KP Singh. The AAP MLAs included Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Principal Budh Ram, Meet Hayer, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Pandori, Jai Singh Rodi and Amarjit Singh Sandoa.
According to the memorandum issued by the party and information shared with the media after meeting the Speaker, the AAP MLAs opposed more than one monthly pension for MLAs/former MLAs, who had become MLAs more than once; stating that such financial gain in the name of increments etc, was morally and theoretically wrong. Therefore, a MLA should be given the same pension as a government employee, no matter if he had become MLA more than once.
On the occasion, Harpal Singh Cheema said the taxpayers have full control over the exchequer of Punjab and no individual has the right to misuse the tax paid by the taxpayers for the welfare of the country and Punjab in any way. He said the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had stopped the pensions of Punjab government employees in the name of reforms in 2004, which was strongly opposed by the entire employees/pensioners community; which continues till date.
Cheema questioned why the legislators did not remember the various monthly pensions received by the MLAs/ex-MLAs in the name of increment while taking decisions like discontinuation of working class pensions. “The Congress, SAD and the BJP MLAs concerned should give the answer to the people,” he added. He said all the MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party were against more than one pension rule per MLA.
Harpal Singh Cheema said the AAP legislators had demanded Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh that in the forthcoming Assembly session, the law should be passed with the consent of all the MLAs to abolish more than one pension rule and restore the old pension scheme for government employees, because the Aam Aadmi Party is adamant that all persons should be given facilities in accordance with the principle of equality.
