Assembly nod to 4-fold salary hike for MLAs, ministers

Amid protests by the Opposition, the Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a steep hike of four times in the salaries of MLAs and ministers besides various allowances. The Bill, if approved by the Central government, will give a status of highest paid lawmakers to the members of the Delhi legislative Assembly and its ministers.

“The hike has been proposed as per recommendations of an independent committee which proposed the recommendations after deep research on role and liabilities of the MLAs,” said Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s deputy Chief Minister. “We want lawmakers to give such a payment so that they are not engaged in corruption for their family requirements,” he added. The basic salary of an MLA has been increased from Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 per months while that of a minister was hiked from Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 80,000 per months. As per a rough calculation the monthly payment of MLAs comes around to Rs 2.35 lakh from the present Rs 88,000 while the in-hand salary of a minister has been hiked from Rs 1.10 lakh to Rs 2.85 lakh per month. The basic salary will also be one of the highest for MLAs in India. Assam legislators get the highest basic salary at Rs 60,000 a month. Their overall package will top that of members of Parliament at Rs 1,40,000 a month and Himachal Pradesh, which has the highest paid state legislators at Rs 1,25,000 a month.

The new rules also inserted three new one-time allowances – Rs 2.6 lakh for maintenance and purchasing equipment for the office including laptop and printers. “The travel allowance has been hiked from Rs 60,000 to Rs 3 lakh and members can go abroad as well,” added the approved Bill.

In additional to Rs 70,000 per month as salary of three assistants and Rs 25,000 per months as office rent, lawmakers will also get cheap loan of Rs 12 lakh to purchase a vehicle. 

“In the same city, MCD councillors are not entitled for even a single rupee salary but only Rs 300 per meeting. The government has no money to pay salary of sanitation employees, pension of widows and development works but lawmakers made rules to take away a huge amount to home,” said Vijender Gupta, Leader of Opposition.