Salary Hike: Following Karnataka’s lead, the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu administration in Himachal Pradesh has implemented a significant increase in the salary allowances for ministers and MLAs. The Himachal government has raised the salaries of ministers and MLAs by 26%, and has also enhanced the pensions for former MLAs. However, the government has eliminated the allowances for electricity, water, and telephone services for ministers and MLAs.
An amendment bill was introduced on the final day of the budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly after a nine-year interval, aimed at increasing the salaries of MLAs, ministers, the speaker, the deputy speaker, and the Chief Minister. This bill was approved unanimously by both the ruling and opposition parties. As a result, the salaries of MLAs will now be subject to an increase every five years, as stipulated in the amendment.
Salary, allowances and pension hike
Under the new provisions, the Chief Minister’s salary and allowances will amount to Rs 3.50 lakh per month, while the Assembly Speaker and Cabinet Ministers will receive Rs 3.45 lakh per month. The Assembly Deputy Speaker’s salary and allowances will be Rs 3.40 lakh per month, and each MLA will earn Rs 2.80 lakh per month. The basic salary for MLAs has been raised from Rs 55,000 to Rs 70,000 per month. The daily allowance has increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500, the constituency allowance from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh, and the office allowance from Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000 per month. Additionally, the free travel limit has been raised to Rs 2.50 lakh, and the travel advance payment has increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
The salary for the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly has been adjusted from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000 per month, with a compensatory allowance of Rs 5,000 per month and a hospitality allowance increased from Rs 95,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh. The Deputy Speaker’s salary will rise from Rs 75,000 to Rs 92,000, with a hospitality allowance increasing from Rs 95,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh, along with a compensatory allowance of Rs 5,000 per month. Former MLAs will now receive pensions ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.10 lakh, up from the previous range of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000.