BENGALURU: On the last day of the budget session, Karnataka Minister Salaries and Allowances Bill as well as Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and allowances (Amendment) Bill were passed in the Assembly and Council, doubling the salaries of the Chief Minister, deputy Chief Minister, ministers and legislators. Pensions for former MLAs and MLCs have also been increased.
This will cost Rs 62 crore per year to the exchequer. The bills were passed amid ruckus by opposition members against the ‘’honey trap’’ issue.
Both the bills mentioned the considerable rise in the cost of living as the reason for the increase. They also said the salaries and allowances of the CM and ministers had not been increased in a long time.
“It is considered necessary to amend the bills for revising salary, house rent allowance and sumptuary allowance’’ the bills stated. But the last pay hike for the legislators was just three years ago in 2022.
As per the bill, the CM’s salary has increased to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 75,000 and ministers’ to Rs 1.25 lakh from Rs 60,000 per month, while the sumptuary allowance has been increased to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 4.5 lakh. The salaries and sumptuary allowance of Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman have increased from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh and from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per month.
The salaries of MLAs and MLCs have gone up from Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000 per month. The pension for former MLA and MLCs has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month. Their other allowances have also been hiked.