BHUBANESWAR: Legislators cutting across partylines on Friday demanded a hike in their salary and upward revision of pension of former MLAs.
Raising the issue during the zero hour, the MLAs urged Speaker Surama Padhy to issue necessary direction to the state government in this regard.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik reasoned that the last salary revision of MLAs was done in 2017. There is an urgent need for revision now as the cost of living has gone up significantly in the last eight years. The pension of the former MLAs should also be revised commensurately, she said.
Her party colleague Pratap Keshari Deb supported her and said salary and pension of MPs have been revised recently. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who was the Opposition chief whip in 2024, had also supported the demand. Though the previous government had planned a hike, its implementation was delayed due to the model code of conduct for 2024 elections, he said.
The state government had formed a committee headed by BJP MLA from Udala Bhaskar Madhei to examine the salary and pension hike. The panel has already submitted its report with recommendations. Several other MLAs across parties also supported the issue in the Assembly.
Odisha MLAs have a basic salary of Rs 35,000 and Rs 65,000 in allowances, excluding travel reimbursements and session attendance allowances. The former MLAs get a pension Rs 35,000 per term.