Protest held over proposed hike in Delhi MLAs' salaries

Youth Congress workers on Wednesday staged a protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence over a recommended hike in the salaries of legislators in the state.

The protestors, carrying banners and placards with messages such as 'Aam aadmi hua khaas, janata ka uth gaya inse vishwas' (Common man has become special, he has lost public faith), shouted slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

In July, a group of AAP legislators had demanded a significant hike in salaries, arguing that their earnings were not enough to run their families and offices.

On Tuesday, an independent committee of experts set up to look into revision of salaries and allowances of Delhi legislators recommended a hefty hike from the current Rs.88,000 to Rs.2.10 lakh per month, including various allowances.

The three-member committee comprises former Lok Sabha secretary general P.D.T. Achary, journalist K.V. Prasad and Supreme Court advocate Balraj Malik.

"When the government receives the report, it will take a reasoned decision after carefully going through each recommendation and the reasons behind it. It will also look at which recommendations to accept and which to reject," a Delhi government statement said on Tuesday.

As against Delhi legislators' current basic salary of Rs.12,000, the committee recommended that it should be revised to Rs.50,000 per month. Though legislators will be entitled to one-time allowance, the committee proposed that they should not be given free accommodation and power and water reimbursements.

Earlier, reacting to the proposed hike, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken called the recommendations a "ploy to keep disillusioned AAP legislators happy".