Speaker moves govt for MLAs’ pay hike

Bhubaneswar: Odisha assembly speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha on Wednesday asked the government to take steps for bringing a bill to raise salary of MLAs after members cutting across partylines raised the demand citing increase cost of essentials and fuel. Currently, Odisha MLAs get a monthly remuneration of around Rs 1 lakh.
The speaker said a committed-led by MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy had given its recommendations on revision of the MLAs’ remuneration. The same has been sent to the parliamentary affairs department.
Arukha asked parliamentary affairs minister Niranjan Pujari to take up the matter with the chief minister. Earlier raising the matter, Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said the members have to spend a lot in view of their commitments to constituents. “Since prices of essentials are spiralling, the existing package should be increased,” he said. BJP’s Mohan Majhi, among many others, supported the raise.
In December last year, an assembly panel chaired Amar Prasad Satpathy and comprising members of all political parties had recommended increase in MLAs’ salary. While the amount has not been specified, the panel is of the view that the remuneration should increase by factoring in rising prices, salary of MLAs in other states and the need for periodic revision in Odisha.
The committee has also recommended increase in ex-members’ pension, he said. The legislators in Odisha get a monthly salary of Rs 35,000 salary and Rs 65,000 in allowances. The members’ salary had last increased in 2017.
The government needs to amend the Odisha Legislative Assembly Members Salary, Allowances and Pension Act, 1954 to revise the members’ salary. The state MLAs’ monthly remuneration is 19th among Indian states and less than half of neighbouring Telangana (Rs 2.75 lakh), where the lawmakers are best paid.