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| Rs 8000 cr liabilities break back of public exchequer | | Legislators' unreasonable demands | | Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 3: At a time when the fiscal deficit in the state is at all time high with liabilities mounting with each passing day, legislators have started making an unnatural demand of 200 percent hike in their salaries, high end laptops and tablet phones.
Such a demand, if approved, is bound to put state's economy in serious trouble, making difficult for the helmsmen to get state out of the financial mess.
During the recent budget presented by the finance minister Dr Haseeb Drabu, he admitted that the state is witnessing a financial mess and scores of GP Fund cases of the government employees are pending for disposal as there are no sufficient funds available in the state coffers.
Reports informed that the liabilities on account of the GP fund and the power dues are heavy, but the state continues to borrow the money from the open market to fund its developmental expenses. The government has not taken measures including the listing of the Power Development Corporation (PDC) at the stock exchange to tap the vast hydel potential even as it has faced criticism for not keeping its earlier budget promises including over the issuing of Dal development bonds. Further, the public infrastructure still lies in ruins which has already proved to be dampener in reviving the industrial activity and has also hit the gross domestic product output in the state.
The present liabilities of Jammu and Kashmir on account of electricity alone stood at Rs 6950 crores. Total liability on account of provident fund, which is completely un-provided for, is Rs.14,058 crore
However caring little about the state and its people, the legislators, irrespective of their parties, are all in unison pitching for their hike in salaries. They want no less than 200 percent hike in their pay. The MLCs as well as MLAs currently get Rs 80,000 as salary besides some perks for visiting their constituencies etc. If approved, it will be third hike in the salary of legislators in the past 10 years. The legislators, who are elected by the people to represent their voice, demand hike in their salaries by three times to touch Rs 2.5 lakh per month. Not only this, the other demands include laptops, tablets and round the clock free internet services. The legislators during the budget session have also asked for the enhancement of the CDF from Rs 1.5 crores to Rs. 5 Crores.
The legislators of all the political parties including of the ruling PDP, BJP and of the opposition Congress and national conference have started raising pitch in one voice, making it difficult for the helmsmen to bundle the plea in a corner.
A senior official in the finance department told Early Times while pleading for anonymity that if the salary hike of 200 percent is approved, same would put the state in a turbulent situation with financial mess likely to take toll. "The state has no money even to go ahead with the 7th pay commission recommendations. The finance minister has already hinted that the pay commission's recommendations would not be good for the state's fiscal health but iyt seems that the legislators have been demanding something which would hit the common man more directly," said the official. |
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