By IANS,
New Delhi : The deadlock over MPs’ salary hike ended Saturday after the government’s known trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee met Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav, who are unhappy with the three-fold increase and are demanding a 500 percent raise.
Finance Minister Mukherjee met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh.
It was not known what agreement the government has reached with the MPs opposing the 300 percent hike, but there was no protest in the Lok Sabha Saturday. Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh had Friday led demonstrations in the house stalling the proceedings and forcing repeated disruptions over the issue.
The RJD chief told reporters in Parliament House that the matter regarding the MPs salary hike has been “resolved”. “The house will now function as per rules,” he said.
The salary hike bill cleared by the cabinet Friday was supposed to be introduced in the Lok Sabha Saturday but wasn’t included in the revised list of business.
The bill seeks to raise an MP’s salary from Rs.16,000 to Rs.50,000 and double their perks, but parliamentarians from various parties were dissatisfied and said it was less than the Rs.80,001 as recommended by a parliamentary committee.