Assembly Panel to meet Rajnath seeking salary hike

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Assembly on Friday formed a six-member committee, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, to take up the proposed hike in the salary of ministers and legislators with the Centre.

The salary issue is significant as the MLAs have complained that their unmarried colleagues find it hard to find brides because of their low salaries.

A resolution in this regard was passed in the Assembly by voice vote, which saw rare unity between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

In December 2015, the Assembly had passed a Bill seeking a 400 per cent raise in the basic salary of MLAs and Delhi ministers besides hefty increase in perks and allowances.

Sisodia said the Bill is pending with the Union Home Ministry for its approval.

AAP legislators Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha and Praveen Kumar, and BJP legislators Om Prakash Sharma and Manjinder Singh Sirsa have been nominated as members of the committee.

While moving the resolution in the house, Sisodia said the committee would meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh and request him to clear the Bill.

AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi, who had raised the issue of salary hike, told the house that legislators face problems as they don't get enough salary.

BJP MLA Sharma supported Ravi, saying the Opposition members are with the ruling party MLAs on the salary hike issue.

As per a provision of the Bill cleared by the Delhi Assembly in 2015, the basic salary of legislators will increase from the current Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 and their overall monthly pay will be around Rs 2.1 lakh as against Rs 88,000 at present.

The basic salary of the ministers, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, the chief whip and the Leader of Opposition will be around Rs 80,000 and their total emoluments will be nearly Rs 3.67 lakh as against Rs 1.2 lakh now.

After the Assembly passed the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Government of NCT of Delhi (Salaries, Allowances, Pension) Amendment Bill 2015, it was sent to the central government for approval.