NEW DELHI: Legislators in the city will now draw Rs 90,000 per month as salary and allowances after the AAP government on Tuesday approved a 66 per cent hike ֫the first in the past 10 years in line with the Centre’s suggestion.
The Kejriwal government expressed discontent that the salary was still among the lowest among the states, adding that the Centre turned down its proposal of hiking the salary to Rs 54,000 and restricted it to Rs 30,000. Earlier, the MLAs were drawing Rs 54,000 per month, including Rs 12,000 salary with the remaining amount being allowances.
“The BJP and Congress ruled states are currently paying 1.5 to 2 times higher salaries and allowances. The restriction imposed by the Centre has forced Delhi’s MLAs to be amongst the lowest earning MLAs in the country,” the AAP government said.
While the MLAs will now get Rs 30,000 as the basic salary, Rs 25,000 is earmarked as constituency allowance, Rs 15,000 as secretarial allowance, and Rs 10,000 each as telephone and conveyance allowance.
The AAP government claimed that the proposal for increasing salary and allowances of MLAs was pending with the Centre for the last five years. In 2015, the Delhi Govt had unanimously passed a bill for increasing the emoluments of MLAs to Rs 2.35 lakh. It, however, did not get the approval as it was tabled without any consultation.
The BJP, however, felt the Arvind Kejriwal government’s priorities were misplaced after the approval was given for the new salary. “Greedy & incompetent Delhi govt is more concerned about increasing salaries of its MLAs instead of worrying about employment of youth. At a rate of ₹90k increment to each AAP MLA, total increased expenses r ₹55.8 lakhs,that can provide job to 200 people @₹27.9k/month salary,” tweeted Neetu Dabas, national media incharge of BJP Mahila Morcha.