PM Modi lauds MPs for taking 30% pay cut during Covid-19 pandemic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the last sitting of the 17th Lok Sabha, lauded Members of Parliament (MPs) for taking 30% salary cuts during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the last sitting of the 17th Lok Sabha, lauded Members of Parliament (MPs) for taking 30% salary cuts during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday heaped praise on all the Members of Parliament (MPs) for not hesitating to take a salary cut of 30% during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 that brought the world to a standstill.
Addressing the last sitting of the 17th Lok Sabha ahead of the 2024 general elections, PM Modi said that MPs did not dither to take salary cuts during the COVID pandemic and pointed out that their subsidy for Parliament canteen food was also stopped.
“I applaud all MPs for letting go of their allowance during the time of the COVID crisis. Nobody gave it a second thought. MPs decided to take a 30% salary cut, sending out a message to the people. Usually, the media bashes MPs for their perks,” PM Modi said.
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In 2020, Parliament passed a bill to reduce for one year the salaries of MPs by 30% “to meet the exigencies” arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All Members of Parliament (MPs), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, took a 30% salary cut. Then President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, and all state governors had also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut.
The Cabinet had also approved the move to temporarily suspend the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund for two years: 2020–21 and 2021–2.
On shifting the sittings to the new Parliament building, PM Modi remembered the establishment of the Sengol in the new building.
Article 370
“During this Lok Sabha’s term, several decisions for which many generations waited for a long time were taken. Article 370 was also abrogated during this Lok Sabha’s term. I feel that those who drafted the Constitution would bless us for this,” PM Modi said, adding that decisions for which many generations waited for long were taken by the 17th Lok Sabha.
On minimum government and maximum governance, PM Modi said the government should stay away from the lives of the people and show trust in them.
As PM Modi recounted the milestones that the 17th Lok Sabha has been part of, the prime minister mentioned the scrapping of Article 370 and the passage of the triple talaq bill. PM Modi said that the new Parliament building started its journey with the women’s reservation bill. “The coming 25 years are very crucial for the country. On one hand, there are political aspirations; on the other, there are dreams for the country,” PM Modi said, adding that India will be ‘Vikshit Bharat’ in the next 25 years.
“The election is not far. Some people might be a little tense, but this is an aspect of democracy, and we accept that. The election is a pride of our democracy,” PM Modi said.
Further in his Lok Sabha address, PM Modi also thanked Speaker Om Birla for guiding the Lower House in a “balanced and impartial” manner.
“You were ever-smiling. Your smile never faded. You guided this House in a balanced and impartial manner in several instances. For this, I appreciate you. There were moments of anger and allegations, but you controlled the situation patiently, ran the house, and guided us. I express my gratitude to you for this,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also said that the five years of the 17th Lok Sabha were a period of reform, performance, and transformation, with the country moving towards “big changes” at a fast pace.
“The country has moved towards big changes at a fast pace, and all members of the House made an important contribution. Such works were completed for which people had waited for centuries,” the prime minister said in the final session before the Lok Sabha polls.
What is the Motion of Thanks?
- The Motion of Thanks is a parliamentary procedure in which a formal motion is presented to express gratitude or appreciation for the President’s Address to both Houses of Parliament.
- The President’s Address is a statement of the policy of the government and, as such, is drafted by the government. It contains a review of various activities and achievements of the Government during the previous year and sets out the policies, projects, and programmes which the Government wishes to pursue concerning important national and international issues.
- The discussion is concluded by the reply of the Prime Minister or any other Minister. Immediately thereafter, the amendments are disposed of and the Motion of Thanks is put to vote and adopted.
- The Motion of Thanks must be passed in the House. Otherwise, it amounts to the defeat of the government. It is one of the ways through which the Lok Sabha can also express a lack of confidence in the government.
- The limitation of the Motion of Thanks is that the members cannot refer to matters that are not under the direct responsibility of the Central Government or mention the name of the President in the debate.
He also had lunch with MPs Watch here: