Hefty salary hike for Himachal legislators, ministers

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Thursday introduced four amendments to a bill that proposes the biggest hike in salaries and allowances of legislators and ministers and pensions of former legislators.

The fund-starved government is already reeling under an ever-swelling wage bill.

The proposed hike would put an additional annual burden of Rs.5.49 crore on the state exchequer, say government officials.

As per the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pensions of members) Amendment Bill of 2013, the total emoluments of a legislator would go up from Rs.70,000 per month to Rs.115,000 per month.

Their monthly salary is being revised from Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000, telephone allowance from Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 and constituency allowance from Rs.35,000 to Rs.60,000.

A former legislator's pension is proposed to be increased from Rs.18,000 to Rs.22,000 per month.

As per the bill, likely to be listed for discussion Friday, the last day of the monsoon session, the salary of chief minister is proposed to be increased from Rs.39,000 to Rs.65,000, that of cabinet ministers from Rs.36,000 to Rs.50,000 and minister of state from Rs.33,000 to Rs.48,000.

The four amendment bills to increase salaries were introduced in the budget session this year.

But following the Bharatiya Janata Party's walkout on amendments to the cooperative societies act, Virbhadra Singh had withdrawn the four bills at the last moment.

Salaries and allowances of ministers and legislators were last raised April 2012.