Tamil Nadu: EPS tables MLAs salary hike bill, DMK and Dinakaran oppose

The bill was proposed during assembly session in July 2017, if the bill passed by the house today MLAs would get the arrears from July.

Amid ongoing strike by state transport employees, a bill proposing a hike in monthly salary and other allowances of MLAs was tabled by Tamil Nadu by CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami in the assembly. But DMK members and RK MLA TTV Dinakaran opposed the bill.

DMK working president MK Stalin said, "People will laugh at us for this hike when transport workers in the state are on strike demanding salary hike."

The bill almost doubles the salary and allowances of MLAs, taking their new pay packet to Rs 1.05 lakh per month from Rs 55000.

The bill was proposed during the assembly session in July 2017, if the bill passed by the house today MLAs would get the arrears from July.

Break up of MLA's pay hike:

• Salary would be increased from Rs8,000 to Rs30,000.
• Compensatory allowance will be Rs10,000 from Rs7,000
• Telephone allowance has been revised to Rs7,500 from Rs5,000.
• The constituency allowance goes up to Rs25,000 from Rs10,000
• Consolidated allowance to Rs5,000 from Rs2,500.
• Vehicle allowance will be upwardly revised to Rs25,000 from Rs20,000.
• Postal allowance will continue to be same at Rs2,500.

(With agency inputs)