THE SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES OF OFFICERS OF

PARLIAMENT (SECOND AMENDMENT) BILL, 2002

a

BILL

further to amend the Salaries and Allowances of Officers of  Parliament  Act, 1953.

Be  it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows:—

1. Short title and commencement.-(1) This Act may be called the Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Second Amendment) Act, 2002.    

(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 3rd day of March, 2002.

2. Insertion of new section 7A.-After section 7 of the Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament Act, 1953 (20 of 1953), the following section shall be inserted, namely:—

"7A. Family pension, etc., to spouse of Speaker dying in office.-(1) With effect from the commencement of   the Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Second Amendment) Act, 2002, there shall be paid a family pension, to the spouse of the Speaker of the House of the People who dies while holding such office at the rate of fifty per cent. of the salary last drawn by him for the remainder of life of such spouse from the date of death of the Speaker:

Provided that the spouse of such Speaker shall not be entitled to receive pension available to the spouse of any member of Parliament who dies during his term of office as such member for a period of five years from the date of death of the member under sub-section (1A) of section 8A of the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 (3 of 1954).

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of clause (a) of  sub-section (2) of section 4 and subject to any rules made in this behalf under section 11, such spouse shall be entitled to the use of unfurnished residence without payment of licence fee for the remainder of her life. 

(3) Subject to any rules made in this behalf under section 11,—

(a) such spouse, for the remainder of her  life; and

(b) the minor children of such Speaker,

shall be entitled to medical attendance and treatment, free of charge.".

 

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS

The Speaker occupies a pivotal position in the Parliamentary system of  Government. The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament Act, 1953, which provides for the salaries and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Council of States and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the People, does not contain provision for family pension to the spouse of the Speaker who dies in office. In the case of the Vice-President and ex officio Chairman of the Council of States, a Bill to amend the Vice-President's Pension Act, 1997 has been introduced in the House of the People on 13th March, 2002, to provide for family pension and the use of unfurnished accommodation without payment of licence fee for the remainder of life to the spouse of the Chairman who dies in office. The said Act also contains provision for medical attendance and treatment to the spouse of the Vice-President who dies in office or after his retirement. Similar provisions exist in the President's Emoluments and Pension Act, 1951 for the spouse of the President who dies in office or after his retirement.

2. In the light of the above paragraph, it would be just and proper that family pension, the facilities of unfurnished residential accommodation without payment of licence fee and medical attendance and treatment are provided to the spouse of the Speaker who dies while holding office of the Speaker, for the remainder of life of the spouse. The entitlement to medical attendance and treatment, free of charge, shall also be made available to the minor children of such Speaker.

3. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects.

  

 

 New Delhi;                                                                                                                       PRAMOD  MAHAJAN.

The 3rd May, 2002.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM

Clause 2 of the Bill seeks to insert a new section 7A in the Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament Act, 1953 to provide for the entitlement of spouse of the Speaker of the House of the People who dies in office, to the family pension of rupees six thousand per month, the facilities of medical attendance and treatment and the use of unfurnished residential accommodation without payment of licence fee for the remainder of life of such spouse. The entitlement of medical attendance and treatment shall also be made available to the minor children of such Speaker.

2. The Bill when enacted will involve an expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India. It is estimated that the expenditure on family pension shall be rupees seventy-two thousand per annum and also involves a non-recurring expenditure of about rupees six thousand on account of payment of arrears of pension for the month of March, 2002. The expenditure on unfurnished accommodation and medical attendance and treatment cannot be estimated at present.