Bills seeking hike in salaries of ministers, MLAs tabled

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tabled four Bills in the state assembly today, seeking to hike salaries and allowances of ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, CPS and MLAs.
The hike would put a burden of Rs 4.45 crore per annum on the state exchequer.
The total emoluments of legislators would go up from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,15,000 per month after the Bills are passed.
The salaries of MLAs is proposed to be hiked from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per month, telephone allowance would go up from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, constituency allowance from Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000 and office allowance would be doubled from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

The minimum pension of former MLAs would also be increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000 per month, sources said.
The monthly salary of Chief Minister is proposed to be increased from Rs 39,000 to Rs 65,000, cabinet ministers from Rs 36,000 to Rs 50,000, minister of state Rs 33,000 to Rs 48,000 and Deputy ministers from Rs 32,000 to Rs 45,000.

The telephone allowance of ministers would be increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per month and they would also be entitled to a sumptuary allowance of Rs 30,000 per month, putting additional burden of Rs 72.72 on the state exchequer.

The Bill proposed hike in salary of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker from Rs 36,000 and Rs 33,000 to Rs 50,000 and 45,000 per month. The telephones allowance would be enhanced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 and they will also be entitled to an allowance of Rs 30,000 per month, they said.
The monthly salary of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries is proposed to be increased from Rs 23,000 to Rs 40,000 and Parliamentary Secretaries from Rs 22,000 to Rs 35,000.
These Bills were introduced during the Budget Session of the state Assembly in April this year also but the chief minister withdrew the Bills as the opposition BJP was not in the house when the Bills were taken for discussion.