Today, those who become MLA after winning the assembly elections get lakhs of salaries annually. Apart from this, many allowances and facilities like accommodation and travel are also given. In such a situation, we can understand what will be the salary of the Prime Minister of the country and how many facilities he will get. But, do you know what was the salary of the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru? Also, what other facilities did they get?
After independence, when it came to determining the salaries of the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers and MPs, pundits Jawaharlal Nehru The thinking was completely different. It is said that he did not agree with the excessive expenses, allowances and facilities for the ministers and himself personally. This is the reason why he got his salary cut.
Had his salary cut twice
Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru had reduced the fixed salary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister by Rs 3000 by the Parliament. He had made a provision of only Rs 2000 monthly salary for himself and other ministers. In this way he got a monthly salary of only Rs 2000.
Jawaharlal Nehru had cut his and other ministers’ salaries twice. MO Mathai, who was his secretary, has written in his book ‘REMINISCENCES OF THE NEHRU AGE’ that after independence, when the issue of fixing the salaries of the Prime Minister of India and other ministers was raised, some prominent cabinet ministers, especially N. Gopalaswami Iyengar suggested that, as in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister’s salary should be double that of other cabinet ministers.
He was also not in favor of provision of pension for the Prime Minister.
Nehru refused to accept this suggestion. He also rejected the suggestion that, as in Britain, an Act should be passed in Parliament providing an adequate pension and other facilities and privileges to the Prime Minister on retirement.
wanted to avoid spending government money on themselves
Mathai writes that I fear that Nehru used to see everything in these matters from his own perspective and by putting himself in that place, he thought about the need for these facilities. He believed that he could earn enough to live a comfortable life with his pen. Therefore, using government money for salaries and other allowances would be misuse.
Mathai writes that I told Nehru that the situation of those who would become Prime Ministers after him would not be like this. He may also be a poor man. In such a situation, in the interest of those who become Prime Minister in the future, they should allow the Parliament to take such a measure. Yes, they do not need to avail these facilities individually if they want. Yet he remained very subjective in this matter.
His salary was this much
The Act for salary was passed at that time. According to that, there is a provision of salary of Rs 3,000 per month and entertainment allowance of Rs 500 per month for the cabinet minister. During Nehru’s time, he and the ministers voluntarily took salary cuts and first reduced the salary to Rs 2,250 per month and then to Rs 2,000 per month.
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