THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Are some Chief Ministers more equal than the others when it comes to their paycheck?
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao recently became the highest-paid CM in the country, drawing Rs 4.2 lakh per month as salary. But Kerala’s ‘24x7 CM’ Oommen Chandy lags a country mile. In the midst of an election campaign, Chandy draws a basic salary of Rs 1,000 per month. Along with various allowances, the Kerala CM’s monthly pay adds up to Rs 52,920.
In 2011, the R Rajendra Babu Commission had recommended to the Kerala Assembly a hike in the basic salary of ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and the Government Chief Whip. However, only some of recommendations have been implemented. Sources said that an MLA now gets around Rs 39,500 per month as salary and allowances. Last year, Karnataka CM’s basic salary was hiked to Rs 50,000 with an additional Rs 3 lakh per month as sumptuary allowance.
In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature raised the salary and allowances of legislators and ministers. The monthly pay of the CM now adds up to Rs 1.24 lakh per month.
Haryana had also increased the salary of the CM from Rs 43,000 to Rs 75,000 in 2011. According to ‘Paycheck India’, a research initiative of the IIM Ahmedabad, Punjab’s Parkash Singh Badal draws Rs 1 lakh as salary. While the monthly pay cheque of Nitish Kumar of Bihar comes up to Rs 99,500 and Assam’s Tarun Gogoi draws Rs 83,000.
Though West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is entitled to a salary of Rs 8,000 and various allowances up to Rs 40,000, sources say she has not claimed the amount since assuming the office in 2011. Her Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa draws just Rs 1 per annum as salary.