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Despite hike, Indian MPs are among the lowest paid
The clamour for more pay still resonates in Parliament.
While many argue about the rationale behind the lawmakers' demand for a better pay, it is imperative to note that an Indian Member of Parliament's salary (before the government hiked it three by 300 per cent) was (and still is) a little more than a day's pay of his counterpart sitting in Singapore.
Let's talk figures. An Indian MP used to earn Rs 16,000 ($343) a month while an MP in Singapore is paid S$13,710 a month ($10,000 or Rs 4.6 lakh). The new, revised salary of Rs 50,000 ($1,072) still fails to match up anywhere close to the guy sitting in Singapore.
No wonder our MPs are crying out aloud for an even higher pay. Even as this feature was being filed, the government agreed to further hike the lawmakers' monthly allowances by Rs 10,000.
Let's take a look at what lawmakers in other countries around the world get paid. Click on NEXT to read further...
United States
In the United States, the current salary for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year (about Rs 81 lakh).
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members.
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400 (over Rs 90 lakh per annum)
Minority Party Leader - $193,400 (over Rs 90 lakh per annum)
House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500 (Rs 1.4 crore per annum)
Majority Leader - $193,400 (over Rs 90 lakh per annum)
Minority Leader - $193,400 (over Rs 90 lakh per annum)
United Kingdom
The current annual salary for a Member of the British Parliament is 65,738 Pounds (about Rs 47.5 lakh).
In addition, MPs receive allowances to cover the costs of running an office and employing staff, having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.
The Prime Minister takes home a salary of 142,500 pounds (Over Rs 1 crore) while Cabinet ministers and the Speaker receive a salary of 134,565 pounds or Rs 47 lakh (including MP's salary).
Opposition parties get extra money to help them carry out their parliamentary business. This is known as 'Short Money'.
European Parliament
The European Parliament is made up of 736 Members elected in the 27 Member States of the enlarged European Union.
The monthly pre-tax salary of Members of European in 2009 was 7,665.31 Euro (Rs 4.5 lakh).
The salary is from Parliament's budget and is subject to a EU tax and accident insurance contribution, after which the salary is 5,963.33 Euro (Rs 3.5 lakh).
The EU statute also allows the member states to supplement the salary for a transitional period (2 election terms from 2009).
Member States can also subject the salary to national taxes. The basic salary is set at 38.5 per cent of the basic salary of a judge at the European Court of Justice.
There are a few exceptions: MEPs, who sat in Parliament before the 2009 elections could opt to keep the previous national system for salary, transitional allowance and pensions.
Bangladesh
A lawmaker in Bangladesh draws a salary of Taka 15,000 (Rs 10,000) a month. With other allowances, a lawmaker draws Taka 34,200 (Rs 23,000) every month.
While ministers draw Taka 29,000 (Rs 19,500), state ministers and deputy ministers take home Taka 26,100 (Rs 17,605) and Taka 24,650 (Rs 16,628) respectively as salary every month.
The prime minister draws Taka 32,000 (Rs 21,586) as remuneration every month while the President receives Taka 33,400 (Rs 22,531).
New Zealand
A lawmaker in New Zealand takes home a cool $144,500 (Rs 47.5 lakh).
While the country's prime minister earns 393,000 New Zealand Dollars (Rs 1.2 crore) a month, his deputy and cabinet colleagues pocket $276,700 (Rs 91 lakh) and $243,700 (Rs 80 lakh) respectively.
The Leader of Opposition earns the same amount as a cabinet minister.
Japan
Japan has the world highest paid legislators.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, members of the Japanese House of Representatives and House of Councillors receive $211,000 a year (Rs 98 lakh).
The monthly salary of the cabinet ministers is 1.51 million yen. The average income of lawmakers in the Japanese Diet is about $269,000 (Rs 1.25 crore), plus winter and summer bonuses with the summer bonus worth between $24,000 and $50,000.
The Japanese Prime Minister's monthly salary is 2,304,000 Yen (about $343,000 a year or Rs 1.6 crore).
Kenya
In Kenya, where the average national income is $1,600 (Rs 74,000), lawmakers earn Kenyan shillings 1.1 million (Rs 6.2 lakh) a month.
The prime minister earns $39,000 a month, over a third more than his British counterpart
MPs in this East African nation have hiked their salaries three times since 2003 and earn way beyond Kenya's base inflation rate. Most of the population here earns less than $1 a day.
Nigeria
Sri Lanka
A Sri Lankan MP draws Rs 54,285 (about Rs 22,517) as the fixed salary every month.
The amount excludes a fuel allowance of Rs 30,000, transport allowance of Rs 10,000, and entertainment allowance of Rs 1,000 and hand phone allowance of Rs 2,000 a month in addition to Rs 500 for every parliamentary session.
Pakistan
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Pakistani Members of Parliament earn a basic salary (Art 250 of the Constitution, Salary and Allowance Act) of PKR 34,000 (Rs 18,541) per month plus allowances.