Fact Check: This newspaper clipping on hike in MP allowance is three years old

At a time, the Centre is facing flak over high fuel prices, a newspaper clipping is going viral that says the government has approved hike in MP allowances.

At a time, the Centre is facing flak over high fuel prices, a newspaper clipping is going viral that says the government has approved hike in MP allowances. The image of the Hindi newspaper clipping posted by Facebook users has the blaring headline, “Approval for increase in MP allowance”. The report says that the Union Cabinet has approved increase in various allowances of MPs. Netizens have reacted strongly on this Facebook post, believing that the government has indeed increased MP allowances. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the newspaper clipping is from 2018 when the Union cabinet had approved 55 per cent increase in monthly allowances for MPs. There has been no further increase in MP allowances recently. Rather, MP allowances and salaries were reduced last year due to the pandemic.