Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to block a controversial three-fold salary hike for lawmakers in Odisha, deeming the challenge “premature” as the relevant bills await the Governor’s assent.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman, declined to intervene, upholding arguments from Advocate General Pitambar Acharya that judicial review cannot apply to a bill before it becomes law.
The AG cited Supreme Court precedents, emphasising that constitutional validity can only be questioned post-gubernatorial approval.
The four amendment bills, unanimously passed by the Odisha Assembly on December 9, propose raising MLAs’ monthly remuneration package from approximately Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh — positioning the legislators among the highest-paid in India, surpassing those in Telangana and Maharashtra (around Rs 2.5-2.7 lakh), while far exceeding Gujarat (Rs 1.10 lakh) and Delhi (Rs 90,000).
The hike, effective retrospectively from June 5 would entitle each MLA to arrears of nearly Rs 65 lakh.
The PIL, filed by advocate Kabita Patra and argued by Srinivas Mohanty, raised concerns over the bills’ constitutional propriety and potential strain on the state’s consolidated fund.
The decision has ignited widespread public criticism and cross-party calls for reconsideration, highlighting growing discontent over the timing and scale of the increase amid economic challenges faced by ordinary citizens.
Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced he would forgo the enhanced package, urging its redirection toward welfare for the poor. The lone CPI(M) MLA, Laxman Munda, also rejected the hike, prioritising wage revisions for Anganwadi workers and teachers.
In a rare show of responsiveness to public sentiment, ruling BJP MLAs urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during crucial meeting of the party’s legislative party to review the proposal. This was followed by similar appeals from BJD and Congress legislators, with sources indicating possible influence from central BJP leadership, including reported displeasure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Civil society groups and social media users have decried the disparity, noting that the revised annual income for MLAs (over Rs 41 lakh) vastly exceeds Odisha’s per capita income, widening the gap between representatives and constituents.
