Fact Check: Is Punjab CM halting pension for ex-MLAs, ministers?
A Hindi post claiming that the Punjab government has stopped the pensions of former ministers and MLAs is doing the rounds of social media.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 27 March 2022 11:52 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A Hindi post claiming that the Punjab government has stopped the pensions of former ministers and MLAs is doing the rounds of social media.
Fact Check
The claim is misleading.
NewsMeter conducted a keyword search for 'Punjab MLA Pension' to verify the claim that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is halting the pension of ex-MLAs and ministers and found a tweet by the CM from 25 March. The tweet carried a video of Mr. Mann with the caption, "Today, we have taken another big decision. The pension formula for Punjab's MLAs will be changed. MLAs will now be eligible for only one pension. Thousands of crores of rupees which were being spent on MLA pensions will now be used to benefit the people of Punjab."
In the video, Mr. Mann can be heard saying in Punjabi, "The Punjab government has decided that whether any MLA wins twice, five times, or seven times, they will receive a pension for only one term."
The Hindustan Times, on 25 March 2022, had also reported that the Punjab CM had said ex-MLAs will get a pension for only one term. According to the report, "Changing the pension formula for former members of legislative assembly (MLAs), Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said lawmakers will get pension for only one term, doing away with the practice of drawing benefit for each term served by them."
Several news outlets had reported the same. (The Economic Times, India.com, Times of India)
Hence, the viral claim that the Punjab government is halting the pensions of ex-MLAs and ministers is misleading. They will be entitled to a pension only for a single term.
