New Delhi: Good days are round the corner for Delhi’s ministers and MLAs, who are set for a hefty pay hike.
Five bills relating to hike in salaries and allowances were passed by the Delhi assembly after a thorough debate on Monday.
The bills, tabled on the opening day of the two-day special assembly session, were supported not just by ruling AAP MLAs, but by Opposition BJP legislators as well.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia backed the move after the discussion in assembly and stated that lawmakers should have slightly more income than their requirements.
“The proposal is to increase the (basic) salary from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000. The success of an institution depends on the quality of talent and for talent retention, money is important. Talent promotion in politics is very important and the salary is a key component of this,” said Sisodia.
For Delhi MLAs, monthly salary and allowances has been proposed to be increased from Rs 54,000 per month to Rs 90,000 per month.
“We should thank the taxpayers whose money is used for the salary that we get, and accept the proposal,” Sisodia said.
Delhi lawmakers are among the lowest-paid legislators in India. Hence, the five salary and allowances amendment bills were tabled by Minister for Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs Kailash Gahlot, proposing a 66.67% hike.
The salary and allowances of the chief minister, other ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, chief whip and leader of opposition will be raised from Rs 72,000 to Rs 170,000 per month.
The bills will have to be approved by the President before the hikes come into effect.
“The assembly secretariat will forward the Bill to the department of law, justice and legislative affairs of the Delhi government which will then forward it to the LG’s office from where it will be sent to the President through the Union ministry of home affairs,” said an assembly official.
According to AAP leaders, salaries of MLAs in different states are — Telangana Rs 2.5 lakh per month, Maharashtra Rs 2.32 lakh, Uttar Pradesh Rs 1.87 lakh, Jammu & Kashmir Rs 1.6 lakh, Uttarakhand Rs 1.6 lakh, Andhra Pradesh Rs 1.3 lakh, Goa Rs 1.17 lakh.
