Wages of privilege

In the aftermath of the destructive Bharat Bandh, cynicism about political parties and parliamentarians is specially high.

In the aftermath of the destructive Bharat Bandh, cynicism about political parties and parliamentarians is specially high. So every time MPs propose pay hikes for themselves, it's the government that has to calibrate its response to make the salary hike more palatable to the public. They (the aadmis, I mean) quite rightly believe that MPs should work hard for their money, like everyone else. This time too, in accepting the recommendations of the joint parliamentary committee headed by Chattisgarh MP Charan Das Mahant, the government has tried to strike a delicate balance.

While it has halved the salary recommended by Mahant, it has 'compensated' the MPs for this setback by substantially increasing their allowances and other perks.

While a salary of Rs 80,000 per month, as earlier recommended and now struck down by the Cabinet, is not high for an MP, who actually works, it is the value of the perks that perhaps needs to be looked into carefully.

The government proposes to hike office expenses and constituency expenses to Rs 40,000 from the previous Rs 20,000 and free AC first class train travel. The other perks, of course, continue as before, including 34 free air journeys, 1.5 lakh free telephone calls and accommodation in Lutyens' Delhi.

Worry at home
Though law and order is a state subject it tends to get centralised when the minister in-charge in Dilli is as vocal and visible as P Chidambaram. While there is no let up in massacre of paramilitary personnel by Naxals in Chattisgarh, Kashmir too is on the boil, once again. Not surprisingly, therefore, the mood in North Block is turning increasingly sombre.

But perhaps an even bigger challenge before Chidambaram when, Parliament reassembles will be balancing his 'tough' policy with the tug-and-pull of political expediency.

As calls grow shriller for a rethink on deploying ill-trained paramilitary personnel against citizens, the Home Minister will have to work his charm harder within and outside government.