Himachal Pradesh passes new bill to stop pension of defectors
The Himachal Pradesh government passed a bill to stop pension benefits for MLAs who switch parties. The bill targets MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law, impacting those who lose their seats and are re-elected in bypolls.
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FollowA new bill enacted by the Congress administration in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh states that MLAs who defect to other parties would not be eligible for pension benefits. To this end, the Himachal Pradesh government in an unprecedented move passed a new bill in the assembly today to stop pension to defectors. A bill was presented in the assembly with the intention of halting the pensions of defecting MLAs. MLAs who have been disqualified by the anti-defection statute are covered by this.
The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill 2024 was proposed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The bill refers to the anti-defection statute and says, "A person shall not be entitled to a pension under the Act if they have been disqualified at any point under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution."
Six Congress MLAs -- Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar -- were disqualified in February this year under the anti-defection law for defying a party whip by abstaining from the house during the passing of the Budget for 2024-25 and discussions on a cut motion.
Inder Dutt Lakhanpal and Sudhir Sharma eventually won bypolls and were re-elected to the house, but the other four failed to do so. In February, these six Congress MLAs supported BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha election.
The amendment's statement of objects and reasons highlights the need for the bill, citing the absence of provisions in the 1971 Act to discourage defection, prevent constitutional violations, protect the people's mandate, and uphold democratic values.
Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu acknowledged the financial struggles in the House, and announced a two-month deferment of salaries for himself, ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and MLAs.
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