New Delhi: During 2018 to 2023 only MPs, MLAS salaries and allowances have increased! This is revealed in a NITI Aayog working paper named “Viksit Bharat: Unshackling Job Creators and Empowering Growth Drivers” by Arvind Virmani published in June 2024.
According the paper “Among salaried workers real wages have increased only for “post-graduate & above” and “below primary”. Similarly, out of 10 occupation categories, real wages of wage & salary workers have increased only for legislators (MPs, MLAs etc) and plant & machinery workers, and out of six industry classifications real wages have increased only for agriculture and services-1, during these six years.”
The ten skilled and professional includes: Apart from Legislators (includes MPs, MLAs, MLCs), Skilled Agriculture and Fisheries workers, Crafts and associated workers, Professionals, Technician and associate professionals, Clerks, Service worker, Shop and Market worker, Plant and machine operator, Elementary Occupation and workers who are not included in Occupation category.
The author is a Member of NITI Aayog. This Working paper is based on the policy paper, “India Vision 2050,” PP No-01/2021, EGROW Foundation, May 2021. NITI Aayog has clarified that “The views expressed in the paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to NITI Aayog or the GOI.”
The abstract of this papers says “This paper presents a Vision of a developed India in 2050. Two objectives drive this vision. One is fast catch-up growth that closes the gap with countries which were at the same stage of development as India in the 1960s & 1970s but have moved ahead since then. An understanding and utilization of global & domestic trends is critical to fast growth, which can be used by Indian government and its people to leapfrog to a better life. The second is equality of opportunity for every Indian citizen based on personal motivation & inherent capabilities. Equal access to quality education, skills, public goods, social and governance services is critical to both these objectives. Provision of social services to 1.6 billion Indians, at the quality available to 1.4 billion citizens of the Developed countries, is only possible in 30 years through comprehensive use of digital systems like e-governance, e-learning, tele-medicine, and artificial intelligence. AI driven expert systems like E-Kautilya, E-Chanakya, E-Manu will drive a transformation in governance. Expert systems like E-Acharya, E-Guru and E-Vaid will drive the transformation in education, skilling, and health services. We envision a Hybrid (Phygital) architecture which marries India’s vast human resources to a pervasive digital infrastructure to accelerate structural transformation and inclusive growth. Government will ensure the provision of hard & soft infrastructure to every habitation in India, develop a policy structure that creates competitive markets in which private entrepreneurs can innovate and thrive, and a welfare system that protects the weak & vulnerable while giving ample scope for civil society to provide a multiplicity of non-marketable services. Proposed Policy & institutional reforms aim to unshackle job creators and empower growth drivers. “
