The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed Himachal Pradesh Salary, Allowances and Pension Amendment Act of Members of the Assembly on Wednesday to deny salary, pension and allowances to MLAs defecting to other parties.

After passing of the new bill pension of defectors will be stopped with immediate effect and they will also have to return the pension received.

The bill seeking to stop pension of defectiing  MLAs was presented in the Assembly on Tuesday and passed on Wednesday, and will be applicable to  MLAs who have been disqualified under the anti-defection law.

 “A person shall not be entitled to a pension under the Act if he has been disqualified at any point under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, referring to anti- defection law,” as per the new bill.

Six Congress MLAs — Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chaitanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar — were disqualified in February this year under the anti-defection law for defying a party whip by abstaining from the house during the passing of the Budget for 2024-25 and discussions on a cut motion, besides cross voting in the Rajya Sabha Poll. 

Sudhir Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal have returned back to HP Assembly after winning the by-election but other four lost the election.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while addressing the Assembly, praised the Speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, for his decisive action against the defectors. “This bill upholds the high traditions of democracy and seeks to prevent corrupt practices within our system; the actions of these six members, who betrayed their party, are a clear case of backstabbing, not only against their own party but against the principles of democracy itself,” Sukhu stated.

However, the Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, expressed reservations about the bill, arguing it might unjustly tarnish the reputation of MLAs. “Members may make mistakes, but depriving them of their pension is too harsh”, he added. 

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