Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affair Babar Awan laid Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in Senate on Friday, which aims at ensuring utility of 25 air tickets to the parliamentarians for their family members sans any burden on the exchequer.
The bill points out that the expression in the existing legislation, the MPs being entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets, be substituted with being entitled to receive travel vouchers of equal amount of 25 business class open return air tickets of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The bill says the unutilized air tickets and vouchers for financial year 2019-20 will remain acceptable till their utilization up to June 30, 2020. The statement of object and reasons of the bill says Section 10 of the existing act regulates free travel privilege of the MPs, who are entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets from airport nearest to their constituencies to Islamabad, per annum.
In addition, vouchers of Rs 3,00,000 to be utilized for traveling by air or train by MPs as well as their family members are also annually provided. It says that there has been persistent demand by the MPs to extend the utility of 25 air tickets to their family members as well. National Assembly Standing on Rules of Procedure has recommended accordingly. Therefore, vouchers of equal value in lieu of admissible 25 business class open return air tickets, are proposed to be issued to the MPs, which may be utilized by their family members as well.
Section 10 says every MP member will be provided during a year such vouchers of the value of Rs 3,00,000 as would enable him to travel within Pakistan at any time without payment of any fair by air or by rail.
The number of air tickets will remain 25 in a year and expenses will not be increased, whereas, the lawmaker could take refund of unused air tickets. About the money bill, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani asked the members to forward their recommendations on the bill till June 8, 2020, while report on this Bill would be presented in the House within ten days by the relevant committee.
