Should tax-payers pay for idle MLAs?

Devendra Yadav Congress MLA from Badli constituency, has returned an amount of Rs 2,67,495 to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung a few days after Supreme Court's observation that Delhi's MLAs were getting salaries without working since the suspension of the assembly.

Yadav has, however, kept Rs 5 with him as salary for five months. On the other hand, other Congress MLAs say that since they have become an MLA, they have been working for the public round the clock and not sitting idle.

Earlier,a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice H L Dattu asked as to why the MLAs should be paid salaries from taxpayers’ money for sitting idle just because the Assembly is in suspended animation.

The apex court had asked Additional Solicitor General P L Narasimha to convey the “feeling” of the court on the issue to appropriate authority.