BJD, Congress urge Odisha CM to withdraw MLAs’ salary hike

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said there was no requirement for such a big hike in salary and allowances of the MLAs.

Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick File Photo

BHUBANESWAR: A day after the BJP legislators urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to reconsider the hike in salary and allowances of MLAs, the Opposition BJD and Congress also followed suit seeking withdrawal of the decision.

Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick and deputy chief whip Pratap Deb told mediapersons that keeping in view the public sentiment over the proposed hike in the salary and allowances of MLAs, the BJD has requested the chief minister to reconsider it.

Mallik said leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who had earlier announced to forgo the hiked salary, also advised the BJD MLAs not to go against public opinion. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said there was no requirement for such a big hike in salary and allowances of the MLAs. The hike should be proportionate to the requirement, he said and sought its withdrawal.