Amenities for Members of Parliament

After being elected to the Parliament, Members of Parliament become entitled to certain amenities. These amenities are provided to the Members of Parliament to enable them to discharge their functions as Members of Parliament effectively.

Broadly, the amenities provided to the Members of Parliament relate to salary and allowances, travel facilities, medical facilities, accommodation, telephone etc. All these amenities are governed by the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 and the rules made thereunder.

Salary and Daily Allowance

With the coming into force of the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 2006, the amount of salary has been increased from twelve thousand rupees to sixteen thousand rupees per month for a period of five years from 14 September, 2006. Similarly, the amount of daily allowance for each day of residence while on duty where a session of either House of Parliament or a meeting of a Committee of Parliament is held has been increased from five hundred rupees to one thousand rupees. This amount may be fixed again by the Government by amending the aforesaid Act after the expiry of a period of five years.

Provided that no Member shall be entitled to the aforesaid allowance unless he signs the register maintained for the purpose by the Lok Sabha Secretariat or the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as the case may be, on all days of a session of the House (excluding intervening holidays for which such signature is not required) for which the allowance is claimed.

A Member of Parliament shall also be entitled to daily allowance for the period of such residence for not more than three days immediately before or after a session of the House and not more than two days immediately before or after a meeting of a Committee or for any other work connected with his duties as a Member of Parliament.

Constituency Allowance

A Member of Parliament is entitled to receive Constituency Allowance at the rate of twenty thousand rupees per month.

Office Expense Allowance

Each Member of Parliament is entitled to receive Office Expense Allowance at the rate of Rs. 20,000 per month out of which Rs. 4,000 is to meet expenditure on stationery items; Rs. 2,000 is to meet expenditure on franking of letters and Rs. 14,000 may be paid by the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat directly to such person(s) appointed by the Member of Parliament to receive secretarial assistance. Provided that such person should himself be a computer literate certified by the Parliament.

Travelling Allowance/Travel Facilities

Every Member shall be entitled to the following travelling allowances for the purpose of attending a session of either House of Parliament or a meeting of a Committee or for attending to any other business connected with his duties as a Member, to his usual place of residence at which such session or meeting is to be held or other business is to be transacted and for the return journey from such place to his usual place of residence:

(a) if the journey is performed by rail, the fare of one first class ticket and one second class ticket shall be paid for each such journey, irrespective of the class in which the Member actually travels;

(b) if the journey is performed by air, the fare of an air ticket shall be paid for each such journey;

(c) if the journey or any part thereof cannot be performed either by rail or by air,-

(i) where the journey or any part thereof is performed by steamer, the fare of the highest class ticket in steamer (without meals) shall be paid for each such journey or part thereof.

(ii) Where the journey or a part thereof is performed by road, road mileage allowance shall be admissible at the rate of thirteen rupees per kilometre.

Provided further that where a Member travels by road to and from an airport in Delhi, he shall be paid a minimum amount of one hundred and twenty rupees for each such journey.

A Member of Parliament shall be entitled to road mileage allowance for journeys performed between places which are not connected by superfast/express/mail train. However, Members representing the North-Eastern States shall be entitled to road mileage allowance for journeys by road from their usual place of residence to the nearest airport even if these places are connected by superfast/express/mail train facility. Similarly, a Member whose usual place of residence is within a radius of three hundred kilometres from Delhi shall also be entitled to road mileage allowance for journeys by road even if superfast/express/mail train facility is available for that place.

For the purpose of claiming travelling allowance for attending a session of either House of Parliament or a meeting of a Committee, Members of Parliament are required to travel only after the issue of summons to attend a session or notice of meeting of a Committee. In addition, a Member shall also be entitled to travelling allowance and daily allowance for journeys performed while on tour outside India in the discharge of his duties as a Member of Parliament. If a Member remains absent for a period of less than fifteen days on account of visit to any place in India during a session of either House of Parliament or a meeting of a Committee of Parliament, he shall not be entitled to the following travelling allowance:

A member shall be entitled to:

(a) if the journey is performed by rail, an amount equivalent to the fare of a first class ticket for each such journey, irrespective of the class by which the member actually travels; provided that such travelling allowances shall not exceed the total amount of the daily allowances which would have been admissible to the member for the days of absence had he not been so absent.

(b) if the journey performed during a meeting of the Committee is performed by air, an amount equivalent to the fare of an air ticket for each such journey but not more than once for a journey to any place in India;

When a House of Parliament is adjourned for a fixed period during the Budget Session, a member shall be entitled to travelling allowance for each journey performed by air to any place in India during an interval not exceeding six days between two meetings of a Department-related Standing Committee.

Provided that the total amount of such travelling allowance excluding air fare shall not exceed the total amount of daily allowances which would have been admissible to the member for the days of absence had he not been absent.

Each member is permitted to undertake 34 air journeys in a year during the session/intersession period along with spouse or any number of companions or relatives. Out of the available 34 air journeys in a year, a member’s spouse or companion can undertake eight journeys by air alone to visit the member. A newly elected member can avail the benefit of travel even before the notification is published by the Election Commission. Any journey performed by the spouse, companion or relatives of the member will be added while calculating the 34 air journeys. The remaining unutilised air journeys will be carried forward to the next year. If a Member travels by air to his usual place of residence or to any place situated within his constituency out of his 34 air journeys during a session period, he shall be entitled to claim travelling allowance, if any, for travel by air from such place to the nearest airport and for travel by rail/road from the airport onwards. If a Member travels by air to any place other than his usual place or to any place situated within his constituency out of his 34 air journeys during a session period, he shall be entitled to air travel allowance for travel by direct route to and from such place and for journey by road to and from the farthest place by direct route. In addition, he shall also be entitled to road mileage allowance for journey by road to and from the airport at both the places, in Delhi and the city where the farthest place is travelled by air. Out of his 34 air journeys during inter-session period, a Member shall be entitled to air journey allowance upto and back from the airport in the city at both the places.

Every Member whose usual place of residence is in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir is entitled to an amount equivalent to the air ticket fare for each single air journey performed by him at any time from any airport in Ladakh to and back. In addition to the air journey provided for a Member, the wife or husband, if any, of such Member or a person travelling with such Member is also entitled to an amount equivalent to the air ticket fare for each single journey performed at any time from any airport in Ladakh region to and back from Delhi airport.

RAILWAY TRAVEL FACILITIES

(a) Each member is issued a free non-transferable AC First Class or Executive Class Railway Pass enabling him/her to travel at any time by any train in India.

(b) A free non-transferable AC Two-tier Railway Pass is issued for one person accompanying the member while travelling by train.

The spouse of each member is entitled to the following facilities.

(a) One free non-transferable rail pass for any train in air-conditioned first class or executive class for travelling to and fro from the member’s usual place of residence to Delhi once during each session and twice during the Budget Session but not more than 8 times in a year and an amount equivalent to the air fare if such journey is performed by air. The spouse may travel from the member’s usual place of residence to Delhi at any time after the issuance of summons for the session and return on any day before the commencement of the new session.

(b) The spouse of a member is also entitled to travel with the member in trains in air-conditioned first class or executive class from any place in India to any other place. A Member not having a spouse shall be entitled to carry a person in his/her place in any train from any place in India to any other place in AC First Class or Executive Class in addition to the facility of carrying a companion in AC Two-Tier. If the Member is not travelling with the spouse, the spouse is entitled to travel by road.

A member is entitled to receive road mileage allowance or part thereof for travelling on or between his usual place of residence. If at any time during the year it is not possible to reach his usual place of residence by train, steamer or road due to weather conditions and is served by air, a member is entitled to travel by air to and from his usual place of residence to the nearest place served by rail situated at a distance outside his constituency.

Steamer Pass

Each member representing the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is issued a non-transferable pass (non-food) for travelling by steamer in the highest class between one part of his constituency and another part thereof and between one part of his constituency and the nearest port on the mainland of India. This pass is valid for the duration of his term of office and is to be surrendered to the Lok Sabha Secretariat on expiry of the term.

Members representing these islands may use the pass for the purpose of attending the sessions of that House by attending to take their entitled seats therein.

If a Member has not been issued with the pass, he shall be entitled to an amount equivalent to the fare of one ticket in the highest class (without meals) for any of the above-mentioned steamer journeys.

Each such Member is entitled to an amount equivalent to the air fare for a single ticket in the highest class from his usual residence to the nearest airport on the mainland of India.

The companion or spouse of a Member representing the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is entitled to travel by steamer in the highest class (without meals) from one place to another in that island and between the mainland of India and the island on the authority of a steamer pass issued to the spouse of the Member or to the person accompanying the Member.

Each Member is entitled to receive an amount equivalent to the fare of one ticket in the highest class (without meals) for a single ticket from his usual residence in that island to the nearest airport on the mainland of India; Member is entitled to receive an amount equivalent to to and fro air fare for one person accompanying him.

Accommodation

In order to adequately meet the residential accommodation requirements of Members, a separate Pool of Accommodation has been created for Members and allotment of residences to Members from this Pool is made by the Housing Sub-Committee of the House Committee, Lok Sabha. The accommodation is allotted as per the norms prescribed by the House Committee.

Each Member is entitled to free facility of flat accommodation or hostel accommodation during his entire term of office. If a Member is allotted a bungalow as a residence on his request, he shall pay the full normal licence fee, if he is entitled to such accommodation.

Each Member is entitled to free 4000 KL of water and upto 50,000 units of electricity (25,000 units on light meter and 25,000 units on power meter or both) from 1st January of every year at his allotted residence in Delhi. The above facilities are also extended to members residing in private accommodation in Delhi. Unused units of electricity and water are carried forward to subsequent years and units of electricity and water used in excess of the prescribed limit in a particular year are adjusted against the units of electricity and water available in the next year.

Other facilities available to members include washing of sofa covers and curtains every three months; furniture within the existing financial limit of up to Rs. 60,000 in respect of durable furniture and Rs. 15,000 in respect of non-durable furniture; and 25% rebate in rent on account of any improvement or addition made thereto or any additional service provided in the form of furniture, electrical equipment and other services.

Telephone facilities

A member shall not be required to pay rent for installation of telephone in his residence or his office situated in Delhi or New Delhi; and every member shall not be required to pay anything for the first 50,000 local calls made by telephone in a year. However, the Chairman of a Parliamentary Committee is exempted from payment of any charges for local calls made from a telephone installed at his residence in Delhi, New Delhi.

In addition to the above, a Member shall not be required to pay any expenditure in respect of installation and rental of a telephone installed with the approval of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, as the case may be, either at his usual place of residence or at any place selected by him, which is- (i) situated in the State which he represents or the State in which he resides in the case of a Member of that House, other than a nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha; (ii) situated in the State in which he has a constituency or the State in which he resides in the case of a Member of that House, other than a nominated Member of the Lok Sabha; (iii) in respect of installation and rental of a telephone installed with the approval of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, as the case may be, in the case of nominated Members.

The Member shall not be required to pay anything in respect of the first 50,000 local calls made on that telephone in any year;

Provided that the place selected by the Member or the place approved by the Chairman or the Speaker, as the case may be, shall be the working place of the existing telephone exchange.

Every Member shall reside at his residence in Delhi/New Delhi or at his usual place of residence or at any place selected by him within his constituency in his State or in the State in which he resides.

Members residing in the constituency shall be entitled to one additional telephone and 50,000 free local calls for internet connectivity purpose.

Trunkcall bills of the members may be adjusted within the limit of one lakh fifty thousand local calls per annum as aforesaid.

In addition, each member is entitled to use one mobile phone connection of MTNL New Delhi with national roaming facility and one mobile phone connection of MTNL/BSNS or any private mobile operator in case MTNL/BSSN facility is not available in his constituency and calls made on these telephones shall be adjusted against the existing 1,50,000 local calls for three telephones available to the member. However, registration and rental charges of personal mobile phone connection are to be borne by the member himself.

The excess of one lakh fifty thousand local calls made per year from the three telephones installed under sub-rules (1)(3) and (5) of rule 4 of the Residence and Telephone Facilities (Members of Parliament) Rules, 1956 can be adjusted against the one lakh fifty thousand free calls available on the three telephones for the following year.

Under the Central Government Health Scheme, a member and his family are entitled to receive free medical facility on a monthly contribution of Rs. 150. The main dispensaries providing medical facilities to the members are located at North Avenue, South Avenue, Telegraph Lane, Pandara Road, Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, Constitution Club and First Aid Post, V.P. House. To provide medical assistance to Members in case of emergency or sudden illness, Parliament also has a First Aid Post and a hospital in Parliament House Annexe.

Advance for purchase of conveyance: Every Member is entitled to receive an advance amount not exceeding one lakh rupees or the actual cost of the conveyance, whichever is less, for purchase of the conveyance desired. However, no advance shall be payable in case the conveyance is purchased in advance and the cost of the conveyance is paid in advance.

Provided also that if the payment is made in part, the amount of the advance shall be limited to the balance amount payable by the Member as certified by the Member. The advance amount granted and interest thereon at 11.5 per cent shall be recovered from the Member’s pay bill in sixty monthly instalments of equal amount for a period not exceeding the term of the Member.

Facilities to Members of Lok Sabha dissolved before its full term:

If the Lok Sabha is dissolved before its full term, the members of such dissolved Lok Sabha are entitled to the use of unutilized telephone calls, electricity units and water units from the date of dissolution of the Lok Sabha till the constitution of a new Lok Sabha. Further, if a member is re-elected to the next Lok Sabha, he is entitled to adjustment of telephone calls, electricity and water units utilized in excess of the quota during the intervening period from the quota of the first year.

Facilities for former Members of Parliament

Pension

With effect from 15th September, 2006, every person who has been a member of the last Parliament or of any House of Parliament for any period is entitled to a pension of eight thousand rupees per month. Provided also that if a person has been a member for a period of more than five years, he shall be entitled to an additional pension of eight hundred rupees per month for each year of the period of five years. While counting the years for determining additional pension, a period of nine months or more shall be treated as a complete year.

Free Rail Travel Facility

Under section 8AA of the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, a former Member of Parliament is entitled to travel in any train in air-conditioned two-tier class with an escort or in air-conditioned first class if he travels alone on the basis of the Former Member of Parliament Identity Card issued to him by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Medical Facilities

Former Members of Parliament residing in cities covered under the Central Government Health Scheme are entitled to the Central Government Health Scheme, wherein they have to pay the same contribution as they were paying as Members of Parliament. This facility is directly availed by the former Member of Parliament from Director General (CGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.

Family Pension to Spouse/Dependent

The spouse/dependent of the deceased Member is entitled to 50% of the pension due to the deceased Member at the time of his/her death and this pension will continue to be paid for the rest of the life of the spouse. The dependent will get family pension provided he/she fulfils the conditions prescribed in Section 2(aa) of the Salary and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act. Spouses/Dependents of deceased former Members of Parliament who served in either House of Parliament prior to 15th September, 2006 shall also be entitled to pension on the same terms and conditions as are admissible to the spouse/dependent of the deceased Member of Parliament.

If the spouse/dependent is entitled to any pension under the Salary and Allowances Act of Members of Parliament, he/she shall not be entitled to family pension.

No person shall be entitled to claim arrears of family pension for the period prior to 15th September, 2006.

Free steamer facility

A former Member of Parliament who represented the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or Lakshadweep shall be entitled to free steamer facility. A person is entitled to travel in the higher class of any steamer plying from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or Lakshadweep, as the case may be, to the mainland of India on an authority issued by the House of the People.(transleted from Hindi by Google)