Chhattisgarh: Bills to hike salaries of CM, ministers, MLAs passed

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Assembly on Thursday passed bills effecting  substantial hike in salaries of the Chief Minister, ministers and legislators.

Speaking during a discussion on the bills in the Assembly today- the last day of the month-long budget session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ajay Chandrakar said the salary revision was necessitated considering the cost of living.

The Assembly also passed bills that proposed to increase salary and perks of the Assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Leader of Opposition and Parliamentary Secretaries.

Post hike, the Chief Minister's salary will now be Rs 1.35 lakh per month from the existing Rs 93,000, while the ministers will get Rs 1.30 lakh from the existing Rs 90,000 and of Parliamentary Secretaries to Rs 1.21 lakh from the existing Rs 83,000.

Similarly, the salary of the Speaker will be hiked to Rs 1.32 lakh per month from the existing Rs 91,000, of Deputy Speaker to Rs 1.28 lakh from Rs 88,000 and that of Leader of Opposition to Rs 1.30 lakh from Rs 90,000.

Now, a legislator will get Rs 1.10 lakh per month? Rs 20,000 as basic salary, Rs 30,000 constituency allowance, Rs 5,000 telephone allowance, Rs 15,000 orderly allowance and a monthly medical allowance of Rs 10,000.

Besides, MLAs will get a daily allowance of Rs 1,000 during the Assembly session or during attending the meeting of House committees.

Apart from that, sitting legislators will be entitled to air and rail travel up to Rs 4 lakh.

Former legislators will be entitled to annual air and rail travel up to Rs two lakh, Rs 20,000 per month as pension, Rs 15,000 as medical allowance.

According to officials, the increase in salary and allowances is likely to put an annual recurring burden of around?Rs 10 crore to the state exchequer.