The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed an amended Bill aimed at curbing political defections by stopping pensions for members disqualified under the anti-defection law. The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2024, introduced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, is designed to deter MLAs from switching parties by cutting off their pension entitlements.
According to the newly amended law, any legislator disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution — the anti-defection law — will lose their right to a pension. Additionally, the Bill includes provisions for the recovery of pensions already drawn by legislators disqualified under this amendment.
Under Section 6B of the Act, every legislator who has served for any period up to five years is entitled to a pension of Rs 36,000 per month. Section 6(e) further states that every legislator will be given an additional pension of Rs 1,000 per month for every year in excess of the period of the first term, IE reported.
The anti-defection law, established in 1985, aims to prevent political defections and maintain stability in the legislature. This move comes in the wake of six Congress MLAs being disqualified in February for defying a party whip during the 2024-25 budget discussions.