Panel on salaries of MLAs to submit report soon: AAP chief whip Jagdeep Singh

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government's panel to recommend revision of salaries and allowances of MLAs will submit its report soon, AAP chief whip in the Assembly Jagdeep Singh said today.

Speaking at the 17th All India Whips Conference at Visakhapatnam, Singh described the AAP government's move as "bold and pioneering" while welcoming the Centre's proposed three-member panel to recommend pay and perks of MPs.

He hoped that the move will inspire "all the right thinking people" to adopt course correction across the country.

"We (Delhi government) have already demonstrated our sincerity in this matter by leaving this job to independent committee of experts, in spite of being forced to work in a statutorily constricted environment.

"I am sure and I hope it will inspire all the right thinking people to adopt course correction across the country... It (the committee) has covered considerable distance and is likely to submit its report very soon," he said.

The conference is being held on the subject of salaries and allowances of legislators.

Singh, who represents the Hari Nagar constituency in Delhi, said many MLAs were finding Rs 12,000 monthly salary highly inadequate and had sought a hike attracting criticism.

"In the light of these developments, the Legislative Committee of Salary and Allowances in Delhi made a bold and pioneering move. It unanimously requested Speaker to leave the matter entirely to a Committee of Experts to be constituted with outsiders as its Members," he said.

Welcoming the Centre's step to set up a panel, he conveyed the AAP's 'in principle' support to this proposal.

"Aam Aadmi Party stands for principled politics and believes in making India corruption free. We feel this move of creating independent commission will contribute to this process," he added.