On September 18, 2018, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was handed over a rather unusual letter that called for immediate action. Unusual, as it was signed by close to 400 members across parties from the two houses of the state’s legislature. Given its electoral strength, most signatories were from the BJP. The first two signatures on the letter were of assembly speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit (denied a ticket this time) and Legislative Council chairman Ramesh Yadav.
The letter asked for a periodical increase and revision in pay and pension of serving and former legislators, and for making these tax-free. It said that legislators in the state were unable to perform the roles for which they had been elected. One reason was the vidhyak nidhi (MLA fund) of ₹4 crore was much lower than what legislators in other states were entitled to.
It was not an issue new to Adityanath. After all, he had served as chairperson of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament from September 2014-2017.
“And yet he did nothing,” said Madhukar Jetley, Samajwadi Party MLC. “Many times, I approached him and he said that he would give me time soon to discuss the manner in which it was to be taken up, but that soon never came. He humiliated his legislators.”
On February 28, 2020, Adityanath announced on the floor of the house the formation of a committee to look into the matter. However, Covid-19 struck soon after and nothing came of that.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 27, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 27, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
