The NWFP government on Wednesday introduced the much-awaited NWFP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 and The North-West Frontier Province Salaries, Allowances and Privileges Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009 for increasing the salaries, allowances and privileges of the provincial ministers, speaker, deputy speaker and members of the provincial assembly.
The Ordinance was earlier introduced in the house on August 26, 2008. However, following strong opposition by both treasury and opposition benches forced the government to retreat. Both the ordinance and the bill were tabled by Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Arshad Abdullah. Deputy Speaker, Khushdil Khan advocate was in the chair.
The ordinance was opposed on the ground that the government should also introduce bill for increasing salaries, allowances and privileges of the members. For increase in the salaries and allowances, the provincial assembly had also passed a resolution unanimously.
The ordinance and bills presented in the house will be ultimately passed unanimously as none of the members would like to annoy his colleague by opposing the increase in the salaries and allowances of both ministers and members of the house. However, some members were still not satisfied with the increase, saying it will only defame the public representatives.
According to members of the assembly, they are getting the lowest salaries of legislators from the MPAs of three other assemblies. "We are getting less than the backward and small province of Balochistan," said a member on condition of anonymity. He said that despite increase they would still receive less salary than members of other provinces.
With the passage of the ordinance relating to increase in the salaries, allowances and privileges, the minister will get maximum increase of Rs 24000 in their house rent, while amendments in the laws relating to the salaries and allowances of the members of the provincial assembly will also benefit the holders of the offices of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of Opposition in the house.
The big beneficiary of the bill after getting nod from the legislature would be Speaker, who will now get a discretionary grant of Rs 0.5 million per annum. The new provision included in the allowances and privileges of the speaker is an amount of Rs 2000/- per month in head of the usage of cellular phone, his travelling standard will also go up from economy class to economy plus in Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and from ordinary class in train to two-air-conditioned births in Pakistan Railways. The daily allowances of the chair had also increased from Rs 450/- per day to Rs 4000/- per day.
Like the speaker the discretionary grant of the deputy speaker had also been increased in the bill from Rs 0.3 million while speaker, the deputy speaker will also be entitled to an allowance of Rs 2000/- per day in head of cellular phone.
After the passage of the bill, the leader of opposition will get salary, allowances and privileges equal to a minister in the cabinet, whose house rent has increased from Rs 16000/- per month to Rs 40,000/- per month. The chair later adjourned the proceeding of the house till today (Thursday) 10am.