Ajay Maken slams AAP over 400 percent salary hike to lawmakers

New Delhi: Passing a money bill effecting 400 percent increase in the legislators` salary without the approval of the President was an "illegality" besides being a VVIP treatment that the AAP government has given itself, said Congress`s Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken on Friday.

"AAP has given a salary hike of 400 percent to the MLAs in Delhi. They will now draw a salary of Rs 2.60 lakh per month, including the travel allowance. Above this 10 percent increase per year would mean half a crore rupees salary per year per MLA at the end of five years," Maken told reporters here.

"If MLAs from a party known as Aam Admi Party are going to draw a salary of rupees half a crore per year towards the end of their term, (it) is absurd. They should change their name from AAP to VVIP party because I don`t think even a VVIP would be getting such a huge salary perk," he said.

Maken said that Delhi`s Aam Aadmi Party government committed an "illegality" by passing such a bill without the consent of the President.

"Since it a money bill and going to give a hike of 400 percent to the MLAs, this was supposed to be passed only after the approval of the President... AAP government has committed an illegality."

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a 400 percent pay hike for MLAs and ministers, by passing the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Government of NCT of Delhi (Salaries, Allowances, Pension) Amendment Bill, 2015.

A three-member committee of experts had recommended a substantial hike in the salary and allowances of Delhi lawmakers. The bill will now be sent to the central government for final approval.