OMG! Karnataka legislators get 75% salary hike

Bengaluru, March 31: Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday passed a bill to increase salaries of all MLAs by nearly 75 per cent from fiscal 2015-16. This hike puts them in the bracket of some of the highest paid law makers in the country.

The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill were passed in the assembly by voice vote.

The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill proposes to increase the salaries of the Chief Minister and ministers from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per month and from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, respectively.

The sumptuary allowance has been increased to Rs three lakh per month for both Chief Ministers and ministers. The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill proposes increase in salary of legislators from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per mensem.

The bills were moved by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and was announced by Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa after putting it to voice vote. There is considerable increase in other allowances including conveyance and house rent entitled. The salaries of the Legislative Council Chairman and the Speaker will be Rs 50,000 per month and sumptuary allowance Rs three lakh each.

By increase in salaries, pension and allowance of the legislators, the government will be incurring an additional expenditure of Rs 44 crore per annum and by increase in salaries and allowances of ministers, the additional burden will be to the tune of Rs 3.50 crore per year.

OneIndia News
(With agency inputs)