Pay hike for MLAs

Chennai, Sep 1 (UNI) As the maiden budget session of the new DMK government was drawing to a close, members of the state Assembly would get a pay hike of Rs 4,000 per month across the board.

Members, barring the left parties, cheered and thumped desks as Finance Minister K Anbazhagan initially announced a hike of Rs 2,000 and another Rs 2,000 at the instance of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

With the hike of Rs 4,000, the MLAs would get a total monthly emolument of Rs 20,000, Ministers and Speaker would get Rs 22,000 and Deputy Speaker, Leader of the opposition and Government Whip Rs 21,500.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for various departments, Mr Anbazhagan said the pay hike would be made effective from today. The allowances for MLAs included constituency and compensatory allowances.

On C Gnanasekaran's (Cong) demand that the government should provide laptops to MLAs in view of the IT Revolution, the Finance Minister said the MLAs, who were given Rs 1.2 crore as Constituency Development Fund, could use the fund for buying laptops.

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