Bhubaneswar: Days after the Centre approved a salary hike for MPs, MLAs in Odisha on Friday reiterated their demand for a pay raise for themselves and a pension hike for former members, citing the rising cost of living.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik raised the issue during zero hour in the assembly and received support from both opposition and treasury benches. While backing her demand, her party colleague Pratap Keshari Deb reminded the assembly that chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, when he was in opposition, also supported the salary hike for MLAs, which is long overdue.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Pramila said given the inflation over the years, the salary of members and the pension of former members should increase. She mentioned that the remuneration of Odisha MLAs is among the lowest in the country.
The MLAs currently receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 1 lakh per month, including a basic salary of Rs 35,000 and various allowances of Rs 65,000, compared to a monthly package of Rs 2.5 lakh of their counterparts in Telangana.
Citing the example of the Centre’s decision to hike the salary of MPs, BJD MLA Ramesh Behera said the salary of legislators in the Odisha Vidhan Sabha should also increase.
BJP MLA Purna Chandra Sethy justified the demand by saying that the pay commissions have been deciding on the revision of salary of govt employees, while there is no such periodic revision of remuneration of MLAs.
The MLAs made similar demands during the winter session of the assembly in Dec. Speaker Surama Padhy then formed an advisory committee with BJP MLA Bhaskar Madhei as its chairperson. The committee has been asked to recommend to the govt regarding salary increases for MLAs and a pension hike for former MLAs.
The salary of Odisha Vidhan Sabha members was last revised in 2017. The govt needs to amend the Odisha Legislative Members Salary, Allowances and Pension Act, 1954, to revise their remuneration. The BJD govt in Feb 2023 formed a committee under the chairmanship of then MLA Amar Prasad Satapathy to recommend a revised structure. The committee recommended a Rs 3.5 lakh monthly package for MLAs and a Rs 70,000 per month pension for ex-MLAs compared to the Rs 30,000 they receive now.
Bhubaneswar: Days after the Centre approved a salary hike for MPs, MLAs in Odisha on Friday reiterated their demand for a pay raise for themselves and a pension hike for former members, citing the rising cost of living.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik raised the issue during zero hour in the assembly and received support from both opposition and treasury benches. While backing her demand, her party colleague Pratap Keshari Deb reminded the assembly that chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, when he was in opposition, also supported the salary hike for MLAs, which is long overdue.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Pramila said given the inflation over the years, the salary of members and the pension of former members should increase. She mentioned that the remuneration of Odisha MLAs is among the lowest in the country.
The MLAs currently receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 1 lakh per month, including a basic salary of Rs 35,000 and various allowances of Rs 65,000, compared to a monthly package of Rs 2.5 lakh of their counterparts in Telangana.
Citing the example of the Centre’s decision to hike the salary of MPs, BJD MLA Ramesh Behera said the salary of legislators in the Odisha Vidhan Sabha should also increase.
BJP MLA Purna Chandra Sethy justified the demand by saying that the pay commissions have been deciding on the revision of salary of govt employees, while there is no such periodic revision of remuneration of MLAs.
The MLAs made similar demands during the winter session of the assembly in Dec. Speaker Surama Padhy then formed an advisory committee with BJP MLA Bhaskar Madhei as its chairperson. The committee has been asked to recommend to the govt regarding salary increases for MLAs and a pension hike for former MLAs.
The salary of Odisha Vidhan Sabha members was last revised in 2017. The govt needs to amend the Odisha Legislative Members Salary, Allowances and Pension Act, 1954, to revise their remuneration. The BJD govt in Feb 2023 formed a committee under the chairmanship of then MLA Amar Prasad Satapathy to recommend a revised structure. The committee recommended a Rs 3.5 lakh monthly package for MLAs and a Rs 70,000 per month pension for ex-MLAs compared to the Rs 30,000 they receive now.