PANAJI
Attending the recent 18-day monsoon session of the Goa Assembly entitled 25 MLAs to a combined allowance of Rs 26.4 lakh.
During the session, Poriem MLA Deviya Rane was absent for six days, while Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira, Curtorim MLA Alex Reginaldo, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Nuvem MLA Alex Sequeira remained absent for one day each at the Assembly which was conducted from July 18 to August 10.
According to assembly sources, the MLAs who attend the session receive Rs 2,000 as allowance, Rs 3,000 as house allowance and Rs 1,000 as travelling expenses per day, which comes to Rs 6,000 per legislator per day.
The 20 MLAs attended all 18 days of the assembly and each one was paid Rs 1,08,000. The total expense came to Rs 21.6 lakh.
Since MLA Deviya Rane remained absent for 6 days, she got Rs 72,000 for 12 days, while Carlos Ferreira, Alex Reginaldo, Digambar Kamat and Alex Sequeira who remained absent for a day each, received Rs 1,0,2000 each, said a source in the Assembly.
While 25 legislators are entitled to this allowance, 15 legislators “ the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Opposition Leader, chief minister and 11 ministers “ are not entitled to this allowance because their salaries and perks are governed by a separate law.
Incidentally, the daily allowance for attending the assembly session has been hiked from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000, after the Goa cabinet on August 9 had approved big hikes in allowances and other perks for members of the legislative assembly (MLA). The Assembly then passed the bill to amend the Goa Legislative Assembly Members Salary, Allowances and Pension Act, 2004, on August 10, the concluding day of the ongoing monsoon session.
As part of this big hike, the legislators are entitled to an interest-free loan for a new personal vehicle of up to Rs 40 lakh, a monthly fuel quota of 500 litres, an interest-free loan of up to Rs 40 lakh to either buy or build a new house, a daily allowance of Rs 4,000 when the House is in session and availing accommodation at the rate of a maximum of Rs 12,000 per day on tours and travels outside Goa. Reimbursement of medical treatment costs has also been hiked to Rs 5 lakh.
