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Monday, January 25, 2016, Magh 12, 1422 BS, Rabius Sani 13, 1437 Hijri


Bills placed in JS seeking to raise President, PM, Ministers’ privileges
Observer Online Desk
Published :Monday, 25 January, 2016,  Time : 8:49 PM  View Count : 6
Three bills were placed in Parliament on Monday, aiming to increase the remuneration and privileges of the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

The Bills are: The President's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, The Prime Minister's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers' (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury who oversees the Cabinet Division in the Parliament placed all the Bills and these were sent
to respective parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny. The Committee was asked to submit its reports within seven working
days.

As per the President's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the salary of the President will be Tk 120,000 from Tk 61,200. It also raised the insurance coverage for air journey to Tk 27 lakh from the existing Tk 15 lakh.

Through the Prime Minister's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the monthly salary for the Prime Minister increased to Tk 115,000 from the existing Tk 58,000.

It also says if the Prime Minister decides to reside in his own house or in any house other than the official residence, s/he shall be entitled to receive Tk one lakh instead of Tk 50,000.

The Prime Minister while on tour shall be entitled to a daily allowance at the rate of Tk 3000 in lieu of Tk 1000 for each day of halt or part of a day of absence from the headquarters. For journeys by air the Prime Minister shall be provided with insurance coverage of Tk 25 lakh instead of Tk 14 lakh.

The Bill also says there shall be placed at the disposal of the Prime Minister as discretionary grant an amount of Tk 1.5 crore from the existing Tk one crore per annum.

The Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers' (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016 proposed enhancing the salary of a Minister to Tk 105,000 from Tk 53,100, for a State Ministers Tk 92,000 from Tk 47,800 and for a Deputy Minister Tk 86,500 from Tk 45,150.

For monthly sumptuary allowance a Minister will get Tk 10,000 from Tk 6,000, a State Minister will get Tk 7,500 from Tk 4,000 and a deputy Minister will get Tk 5,000 from Tk 3,000.

If a Minister, as per the proposed Bill, resides in a house other than his official residence, s/he shall be entitled to receive Tk 80,000 monthly as house rent where it will be Tk 70,000 for State and Deputy Ministers.

Currently, an official residence is not available, a Minister is entitled to receive Tk 45,000 monthly, while Tk 40,000 for the Minister of State or Deputy Minister.

The Bill also proposed every year for maintenance of such house, an amount equivalent to three months house rent admissible to him/her under this section and all costs for supply of electricity, gas, water, telephone and the like at such residence.

As per the existing provision, if a Minister chooses to reside in his own house or in any house other than official residence s/he gets Tk
25,000 monthly as house rent while the rent for Minister of State or Deputy Minister is Tk 20,000.

However, in the proposed law this clause has been abolished.

For journeys by air a Minister, Minister of State or Deputy Minister shall be provided with insurance cover for Tk 8 lakh from Tk 5 lakh.

A Minister or Minister of State while on tour shall be entitled to a daily allowance at the rate of Tk 2,000 instead of existing Tk 750
for each day of halt or a part of a day of absence from his headquarters, and such allowance shall be admissible at full rate for the first ten days of each continuous halt, at three-fourths of the full rate for the next twenty days and at half of the full rate thereafter.

A Deputy Minister, while on tour, shall be entitled to a daily allowance at the rate of Tk 1,500 in lieu of Tk 600 for each day of halt or a part of a day of absence from the headquarters, and such allowance shall be admissible at full rate for the first ten days of each continuous halt, at three-fourths of the full rate for the next 20 days and at half of the full rate thereafter.

The amount of discretionary grant for Minister has been proposed to enhance to Tk 10 lakh from Tk 4 lakh yearly, for the State Minister
the amount will be Tk 7.5 lakh from Tk 3 lkah while Tk 5 lakh from Tk 3 lakh for the Deputy Minister.

UNB/LY







Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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