Brief about this Bill

On Monday 14th September 2020 the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi introduced in Lok Sabha a bill that will reduce one year salaries of the Members of Parliament by 30 per cent “to meet the exigencies arising out of Covid-19 pandemic”.

The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has been passed in Lok Sabha in a major development. This Bill is going to cut MPs’ salaries by 30% to meet Covid-19 exigencies need due to financial crisis faced by many of them and by the government. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was among the three Bills the Centre moved on Tuesday 15th September in the afternoon in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage on the second day of the Monsoon Session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, which has been mentioned in the legislative business of the Lok Sabha. It was meant to replace an ordinance issued by the government on the matter.

Other Bills

The other proposals were the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

These Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday 14th September, this was the first day or opening day of the Monsoon Session, this monsoon sessions will conclude on 1st of October, 2020.

Above Bills were introduced along with seven other Bills — Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020; Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020; Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020; and Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 — in the Lok Sabha on Monday after it reconvened for the second time after an hour’s adjournment of the first sitting at 9 am.

Meanwhile, making a statement in Lok Sabha on India-China border stand-off, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday 15th September said India is committed to a peaceful resolution of the current border stand-off with China in Ladakh but any attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo by the neighbouring country is unacceptable. “The Indian Army has inflicted heavy costs including casualties on the Chinese side during the clash with the PLA at the Galwan valley on June 15,” Rajnath Singh added.

He also said that since April month of this year, buildup of troops and armaments by the Chinese side has been witnessed in the border areas adjacent to eastern Ladakh.

Lok Sabha had passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020