Tax payers’ money brazenly looted by ministers, MLAs: Harsh

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: With BJP-PDP combine re-scripting the epic of ‘Ali Baba and forty thieves’ by doling out bonanza to ministers and MLAs by massively hiking their motor car advance, housing loan and travel allowance recently, Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP and former minister launched a blistering attack on the BJP-PDP combine for siphoning the public exchequer notwithstanding the much hyped austerity measures in the State.
Briefing media persons here on Sunday, Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP asked the government to seriously ponder on the announcement which could otherwise breed corruption, loot and plunder of the public money.
Expressing his shock and chagrin over the extra ordinary and prodigious hike in the pecuniary benefits to the ministers and legislators by the State Government, Harsh described the sops as organised loot of the tax payers’ money.
“The legislators would now be entitled to motor car advance up to Rs.10 lakh which was a 100 per cent hike. Likewise, their entitlement for the housing loan had been increased to Rs 10 lakh against Rs 5 lakh at the interest rate of nominal four per cent per annum. Similarly, their traveling allowance had been hiked from Rs 1 to 1.50 lakh which would entitle every member of the family to travel any time during the financial year with reimbursement up to the aforesaid amount”, Harsh divulged.
Harsh recalled that last year BJP-PDP had doubled the emoluments of legislators and those of their PAs and during January this year, MLAs CDF was doubled to Rs 3 crore besides other perks including their sitting allowance and TA/ DA at the time when the State was passing through the worst ever financial crisis. He said that while the government was averse to the hardships faced by the common man, law makers were enjoying whopping hikes in their salaries and perks.
Describing the government decision as a gross violation of propriety, probity and morality, Harsh Dev Singh said that the unholy coalition was no less than a clan of ‘Ali Baba and forty thieves’ which had one point agenda of looting the public exchequer and nothing else. He said that while it showed dry coffers to the workers, employees, pensioners, unemployed and underemployed educated youth of the State, the legislators were enjoying all the luxuries of life.
Singh said that the incumbent government had framed the most obnoxious ‘New Recruitment Policy’ for the youth on less than one third of their legitimate salary on the grounds of financial constraints. He further pointed out that several sections of employees including DRWs, Casual, Need based and other workers of PHE, I&FC, R&B, M&RE, TDAs, NHM besides RETs, Home Guards, temporary teachers, contractual lecturers, terminated wireless operators, etc were on the roads seeking regularisation of their services and release of their nominal wages which had been unpaid for more than two years.
Harsh urged upon the Governor and the SAC to take due cognisance of the government enriching the coffers of the legislators by abusing the public exchequer at the cost of poor and deprived sections of the society.
Parshotam Parihar, State Secretary Panthers Trade Union and Roshan Sharma were also present during the press conference.