India's cabinet on Friday opted to triple the wages of members of parliament to about 1,000 dollars a month and double their expenses, a government source said. The move came after a campaign by parliamentarians, many of whom were angry Friday at what they saw as an "insulting" hike. They voiced their frustration in the notoriously rowdy national assembly, forcing several adjournments, but failed to secure a bigger rise.
As well as their salary, lawmakers are entitled to a number of perks, such as free air and train travel for them and their spouse, free housing and other domestic services. Each member will now receive 50,000 rupees per month in salary and 40,000 rupees in expenses, from 16,000 rupees and 20,000 rupees previously. India is currently struggling with near 10-percent inflation and the central bank is keen to contain widespread wage hikes across the economy that could accelerate the trend of rising consumer prices.
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