CM Buys Peace, Gives Parliamentary Secretary Post to 10 Legislators

BENGALURU:Throwing austerity to the winds, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah named 10 parliamentary secretaries on Thursday. This is expected to burden the state exchequer by about Rs 2.70 crore per year since they would be entitled to salaries and perks on par with ministers of state.

With most parts of the state still reeling under the impact of drought, the chief minister appointed nine MLAs and one MLC as parliamentary secretaries. They would assist the chief minister in discharging his official duties.

The list of Congress legislators includes Umesh Jadhav, H P Manjunath, Doddamani Siddalingappa, Tukaram, Raju Alagur, Maqbul Bhagwan, Shakunthala Shetty, Puttaranga Setty, C S Shivalli (all MLAs) and Govindaraju (MLC).

The proposal to appoint MLAs as parliamentary secretaries was on the cards  since the chief minister had expanded his 29-month-old cabinet recently by inducting four legislators, including KPCC president G Parameshwara, A Manju, Manohar Tahsildar and Vinay Kulkarni.

Sources said the move to appoint legislators as parliamentary secretaries was to keep them in good humour and stem dissent.

Express had reported last week that legislators who would not make it to the Cabinet would be appointed as parliamentary secretaries to keep them in good humour. 

With the strength of the Cabinet restricted to 34 — 15 per cent of the total strength of the Assembly — many chief ministers had in the past too resorted to appointment of parliamentary secretaries. Sources said the CM is expected to depute parliamentary secretaries to assist ministers in stepping up implementation of the government’s schemes and programmes. All parliamentary secretaries are expected to be administered the oath of office by the Chief Minister in a day or two and assigned departments, sources said.

The CM has decided to appoint parliamentary secretaries, all young faces, to add pace to the delivery of state’s services, the sources added.

What it Will Cost

Pay and perks of  minister of state

■ Salary Rs 40,000

■  Sumptuary allowance Rs 3L/year

■ HRA Rs 80,000

■ Bungalow maintenance Rs 20,000

■ Petrol quota 1,000 litres/month