Haryana MLAs get hefty hike in salary, allowances

Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) Haryana legislators got a heftyhike in salary and allowances as the 90-member state Assemblyhere today unanimously passed the Bill in this regard. The monthly salary and allowances of a legislator willjump to Rs 1.5 lakh. As per the Bill, keeping in view the rise in cost ofliving, it was proposed to increase salary of MLAs fromRs 30,000 per month to Rs 40,000 per month. Constituency allowance will be doubled from Rs 30,000 toRs 60,000 per month, office allowance from Rs 10,000 per monthwill now be Rs 25,000, sumptuary allowance will double from Rs5000 to Rs 10,000. Daily allowance will go up from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 for amaximum of 15 days in a month. Free traveling facility at the rate of Rs 2 lakh peryear will now be Rs 3 lakh per year. Telephone allowance at the rate of Rs 15,000 per monthfor a telephone at residence is being substituted to atelephone and a mobile phone for residence. The proposed increase in salary, constituency allowanceand office allowance etc will entail an extra expenditure ofapproximately over Rs 9 crore per year from the Stateexchequer, the State Assembly was informed. The Bill introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister RamBilas Sharma, was passed on the last day of the StateAssembly’s brief monsoon session. The Haryana Legislative Assembly (Salary, Allowancesand Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, was tabledyesterday. However, the daily allowance cannot be ascertained atthis stage as this will depend upon the tours of the MLAs, itwas further informed. Notably, yesterday, after the Bill was tabled in theHaryana Assembly, BSP’s Tek Chand Sharma had said that thoughin protocol the MLAs were above the state chief secretary, yetthe salary hike proposed in the Bill had "disappointed" theelected representatives. After this Ram Bilas Sharma assuredthe House a "consensus" would be evolved on the issue inconsultation with the Speaker. The House then decided to discuss and take up the Billtoday. PTI SUN ANB RG ANBTIR