MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Cabinet on Wednesday approved a raise in the salaries, allowances and privileges of the president, speaker and deputy speaker.
Although the official handout on the proceedings of the cabinet mentioned the decision to enhance the salaries, allowances and privileges of these public officeholders in one sentence towards the end, documents obtained by Dawn showed that the increase ranged from 150 to 250pc.
In the case of the president, the salary has been raised from existing Rs40,000 per month to Rs200,000 per month and the sumptuary allowance from Rs8,000 per month to Rs50,000 per month.
His daily allowance has been raised from Rs1,000 to Rs5,000 and annual discretionary grant of Rs500,000 to Rs1.5 million.
The president will be entitled to a lump sum amount of Rs40,000 is equipment allowance and Rs15,000 per month as dearness allowance, apart from one complete salary as leave allowance.
The salary of the speaker has been enhanced from Rs48,000 per month to Rs150,000 per month. His sumptuary allowance has been raised from Rs12,000 per month to Rs50,000 per month and equipment allowance from Rs10,000 (lump sum) to Rs30,000. His daily allowance has been increased from Rs3,000 to Rs4,000 and annual discretionary grant from Rs500,000 to Rs1m.
The speaker will also be entitled to Rs30,000 per month as dearness allowance and one complete salary as leave allowance.
Similarly, the salary of deputy speaker has been increased from Rs35,000 per month to Rs100,000 per month; sumptuary allowance from Rs 10,000 per month to Rs25,000 per month; equipment allowance from Rs10,000 (lump sum) to Rs20,000; daily allowance from Rs1,000 to Rs3,000; and annual discretionary grant from Rs300,000 to Rs500,000.
The deputy speaker will be entitled to one complete salary as leave allowance and Rs10,000 per month as dearness allowance.
A cabinet member told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the government had been of the view from day one that emoluments of public officeholders and legislators were far lower than their counterparts in Pakistan and needed immediate enhancement “for their satisfaction”.
In its last session on April 19, the cabinet had accorded approval to more than 200pc raise in the salaries, allowances and privileges of the prime minister and cabinet members, with only one dissenting voice. Prior to that, salaries and allowances of MLAs were increased.
In March this year, the PML-N government had also showed similar generosity towards the chief secretary and inspector general of police (IGP) – posted by the federal government in AJK – by offering them several post-retirement privileges from taxpayer money. www.dawn.com/news/1336631/ajk-increases-salaries-perks-of-president-speaker-deputy-speaker
Comments are closed.