Speeches in the State Legislatures : 1946-62

9

Remuneration to elected
members of Local Bodies

On 22 February 1954, a Bill No. LXXXIV of 1953 (A Bill to provide for the Salaries and Allowances of the members of the Local Authorities) was introduced * in the Assembly. Shri Y. B. Chavan, Minister for Local Self-Government summed up the arguments advanced by the members and defended the Bill.
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* BLA Debates, Vol. 26, Part I, March-April 1954, pp. 72-73.

Mr Speaker, Sir, before I proceed to reply to the arguments advanced by the Mover of this Bill and those who supported him, I would, for the convenience of the House, as most of the speeches were made in the last Session, try to recapitulate the arguments that were advanced. I find that the arguments in favour of the Bill, to put them briefly, were three. First, the claim is that by introducing the idea of payment to the elected representatives of local authorities, it would bring about the desired efficiency and the integrity in the administration. Secondly, it is feared that by not giving remuneration to the elected representatives of the local authorities, these bodies are likely to be the monopoly of the rich people only. Thirdly, on the analogy of the Bill that was passed providing for salaries and allowances to the hon. Members of this House, it was argued that the principle of remuneration to the elected representative of local authorities should be accepted.

Sir, I shall deal with each of these arguments. At the outset, I must tell the House that the Government is opposed to this Bill. The reasons are these. In Indian public life we have certainly accepted the idea of honorary public service. We have compromised only in certain respects. For instance, we have compromised as far as the members of this House are concerned, and that too only on certain sound and reasonable grounds. I would like to put them before you.

Sir, it is not correct to say that whosoever is elected should be given some remuneration. We have to take into consideration two other important factors. Firstly, the nature of the work that the elected member is expected to attend to, as also the loss of time and loss of work that is involved in doing so. Secondly, we have to take into consideration the financial condition of the authority which is supposed to pay for the remuneration. These criteria will have to be taken into consideration when we decide this question one way or the other. When it is proposed that the same principle should be applied to the local authorities, namely, the local boards and municipalities, it is stretched rather too far. Those who advance the argument, that by not giving some remuneration to these members only rich people would be elected on these local authorities are not aware of the realities. It cannot be said that in the present day elected members of municipalities and local boards are only rich people. I do not know whether the hon.