Why not pay IAS officers on basis of calories they need? Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked why IAS officers should not be paid on the basis of calories they need. 

Kejriwal was addressing a meeting of the Delhi Workers' Conference on May Day or International Workers' Day. 

At the meeting, Kerjiwal said the current minimum wage of Rs 13,500 had earlier been Rs 9,500.

He said the increase was made after the committee studying the issue decided a labourer needed 2,700 calories a day. 

Kejriwal said he told the committee that a labourer's pay cannot be based only on the calories he needs. That he is a human, not an animal. That he needs to buy clothes, educate his children. 

Which is when Kejriwal added that "you can pay IAS officers based on their caloric needs, not labourers". 

Relations between the AAP government and the bureaucracy have been tense since the alleged beating of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by Aam Aadmi Party MLAs.

Kerjriwal also added that his government is working on abolishing the contract labour system in Delhi and on regularising the services of contractual workers. That had been one of Kerjiwal's campaign promises. 

"If Delhi was granted statehood, we would have made all contractual labourers permanent. We are facing certain hurdles but we will do it soon. We will take strict action against those not abiding by minimum wage norms for labours," Kejriwal said. 

(With inputs from PTI)