Delhi / Delhi Cabinet approves salary hike of MLAs from ₹12,000 to ₹30,000 per month

Zoom News : Aug 03, 2021, 05:48 PM
New Delhi: The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved salary hike for legislators in accordance with the Centre’s proposal, the government said in a press statement.

The statement, issued after a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, said, “Delhi Cabinet approves salary hike for MLAs as per Centre’s proposal. Delhi MLAs will only get a salary of ₹30,000. CM Arvind Kejriwal-led Cabinet approves Centre’s proposed salary for MLAs. Delhi’s MLAs will continue to be among the lowest-paid MLAs across India.”

It said, “Even as the cost of living in Delhi has risen substantially, the restriction imposed by the Centre has forced Delhi’s MLAs to be amongst the lowest earning MLAs in the country whereas MLAs of states ruled by the BJP and the Congress earn around 1.5 to 2 times the amount that the MLAs of Delhi will earn. The salary of Delhi’s MLAs hasn’t increased since 2011 and the Delhi government had requested the MHA that the salary of Delhi’s MLAs be at par with MLAs of other states. The basic salary was requested to be set at ₹54,000. However, the MHA refused to do so.”

According to a break-up shared by the government, the total monthly salary of ₹90,000 comprises ₹30,000 basic salary, ₹25,000 constituency allowance, ₹15,000 secretariat allowance, and ₹10,000 each for telephone and conveyance.

The break-up, however, does not mention several additional salary elements such as allowance for attending assembly sessions, committee meetings, medical facilities, pension, electricity and water reimbursements, annual travelling reimbursements and reimbursement for data entry operators, said a senior official who did not wish to be named.

The increase approved by MHA is likely to open up a new front in hostilities between the Centre and Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The latter sought an increase in the basic salary of lawmakers from ₹12,000 to ₹50,000, but MHA increased it to ₹30,000.

“The Delhi Cabinet today approved the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, (Amendment) Bill 2021 and MLAs/Speaker-Dy Speaker/Chief Whip/Leader of Opposition of Legislative Assembly of Delhi (Amendment) Bills 2021. After Cabinet approval, the proposal and draft bills will be sent for MHA’s approval before being placed in Delhi Assembly,” the statement said.

The raise, the first since 2011, will mean Delhi’s lawmakers remain among the lowest paid in the country. As per the data shared by the Delhi goverment, in Uttar Pradesh, a legislator’s monthly salary and allowances add up to ₹95,000 a month; in Gujarat, ₹105,000; in Bihar, ₹130,000; in Rajasthan, ₹142,500; in Haryana, Rs1,55,000; and in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Rs198,000 and Rs190,000 respectively. Telangana pays its lawmakers ₹250,000 a month.

A response from the ministry of home affairs is still awaited and this copy will be updated accordingly.

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