MPs from Pune district have welcomed the UPA government?s move to hike their salaries from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000.

Maval MP Gajanan Babar said the salary hike was necessary as the existing salary was low. ?We are seniors, but there are many new MPs and they need better pay as they have to travel a lot in their constituency. Meeting people and catering to them also brings about lot of expenses. This hike was long expected,? said Babar.

The government on Friday cleared a 300 per cent salary hike from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 for MPs and doubled their perks.

Shirur MP Shivaji Adhalrao-Patil points out that in order of precendence MPs stand 21st in the list and they get paid less than secretaries who get Rs 80,000 per month. ?We have to travel extensively as well as cater to many people and the existing salary was definitely not enough. We have much more expenses and we work nearly 14 hours a day. In 1954, the monthly salary was Rs 400 and if we were to consider that it should amount to much more. However, this is definitely a welcome move,? said Patil.

?If we were to consider the salaries of MPs with that of other countries, their salaries are much more. In Australia it is Rs 54 lakh, New Zealand it is Rs 42 lakh, Canada Rs 70 lakh, UK Rs 45 lakh. In every sector there is a hike, and there should be a hike for MPs as they are working for the people,? he said.

The Union cabinet in its meeting okayed the Bill seeking three-fold raise in the basic salary of MPs. But it is less than Rs 80,001 as recommended by a parliamentary committee, which had said that MPs should get at least a rupee more than bureaucrats. An MP at present gets Rs 16,000 as salary; the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry suggested raising it to Rs 50,000 as against the Rs 80,001 recommended by a parliamentary panel.

An MP also gets a daily allowance of Rs 1,000 when Parliament is in session for taking part in House committee meetings. This has also been doubled. While a member is entitled to a constituency allowance of Rs 20,000 a month and an office expense allowance of Rs 20,000 a month, the perks have also been doubled.

Their conveyance allowance has gone up from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. Spouses of MPs are entitled to free train travel from their place of residence to Delhi. They also get up to eight free plane tickets from their place of residence to Delhi. However, the increase will be with retrospective effect from May 2009.