BS EDIT: MPs get pay hike: Time to rethink how we value public service

By Business StandardPublished On Mar 28, 2025

Pay hiked after 5 years

MPs’ basic monthly pay raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.24 lakh, with retrospective effect from April 2023

Still not inflation-linked

The hike (4.8% annually) falls short of inflation. A 2018 plan to revise salaries automatically based on cost inflation hasn’t been followed

MP vs bureaucrat pay

Though on paper the packages are similar, MPs’ allowances are meant to be spent — not retained — unlike bureaucrats' consolidated pay

Office and constituency costs

₹87,000 for constituency and ₹75,000 for office expenses are reimbursements, not earnings. These fund assistants, travel, and admin work

Hidden benefits, real gaps

MPs receive travel perks and other allowances, but many still come from modest backgrounds and need fair compensation to serve effectively

Time for reform

Salary reviews should be regular, inflation-indexed, and transparent — to ensure integrity and efficiency in public life