Legislators’ Salary

This is regarding  column “Netas vis-a-vis Babus” by Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu.

Dr. Haseeb Drabu’s article, though insightful, reads like a mix of several loosely connected arguments. It begins with the proposal for a legislators’ salary hike but quickly drifts into fiscal analysis and institutional critique, making it somewhat a hotchpotch.

The attempt to justify pay parity with bureaucrats by citing J&K’s massive ₹50,000 crore salary and pension bill is misplaced. While no one should object to legislators being paid at par with top civil servants, linking it to an already alarming fiscal burden in a revenue-deficit state weakens the argument.

That said, Dr. Drabu makes a valid point about restoring the legislature’s authority and confining bureaucrats to administrative execution—a crucial step for effective governance. His suggestion to rationalize revenue expenditure rather than resorting to symbolic austerity measures like banning official dinners is also practical. However, his assumption that higher legislative pay will automatically raise the quality of politics is debatable.

The article would have been stronger had it remained focused solely on the issue of salary enhancement for legislators. Other themes it touches—such as the balance of authority between netas and babus, J&K’s fragile fiscal condition, the alarming growing revenue expenditure, or the quality and professional appeal of politics—are each significant enough to merit independent, detailed discussion. Addressing them casually within one piece dilutes the core argument and leaves the analysis scattered rather than persuasive.