Salary hike for Haryana MLAs

Chandigarh: Haryana legislators on Thursday gave themselves a hike in salaries and allowances with a monthly salary of ministers set to jump from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per month.

The Assembly here passed three Bills effecting hikes in the salary of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, ministers, and ministers of state during its one-day special session to pass the Haryana Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017.

The salary of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker will increase from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 and their office allowance Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000.

This will entail an expenditure of Rs 6.72 lakh from the state exchequer, the House was informed.

It was also informed that the increase in salaries and office allowances (from Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000) of ministers, ministers of state and the Leader of the Opposition will put a burden of Rs 47 lakh on the state exchequer.

The hikes were made under the Haryana Legislative Assembly Speaker's and Deputy Speaker's Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, the Haryana Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill and the Haryana Legislative Assembly (Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2017.

The Bills, which were moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, will come into force from April 1.

Sharma informed the House that the hikes have been effected keeping in view the rise in the cost of living as well as office expenses.

Independent MLA Jai Prakash and INLD legislator Zakir Hussain said there should have been more hike in salary and allowances.

MLAs from opposition parties also demanded an increase in the pension and allowances given to former legislators.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the government was completing some formalities, including working out how much Dearness Allowance should be given to them.

He added that if needed, an ordinance will be brought in this regard.