The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Salaries of Rajasthan Ministers, MLAs increased

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

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Salaries of Rajasthan Ministers, MLAs increased

Special Correspondent

The amendments brought about by the passage of Bills will provide for a monthly increase of Rs.3,000 in the emoluments of the MLAs.

JAIPUR: The members of the Rajasthan Assembly helped themselves on the final day of the Budget session on Thursday by unanimously passing Bills to raise their salaries and perks. The wage "revision'' would entail an additional amount of Rs.5,000 a month as salary to the Chief Minister while the hike is Rs.4,000 each in the case of Cabinet Ministers.

"Looking to the present level of prices, the existing salary and sumptuary allowance payable to the Chief Minister, Ministers, Ministers of State and Parliamentary Secretaries appeared to be inadequate,'' the statement of objectives and reasons given in the Bills for effecting the revision observed.

"This is the first increase in salaries and emoluments of the legislators and Ministers after the Bharatiya Janata Party Government, led by Vasundhara Raje came to power in December 2003. The previous revision was carried out during the tenure of the Congress Government, led by Ashok Gehlot.

The new scales and other benefits would come into force with a retrospective effect--from August 2004--as the Bills were first introduced in the Assembly during then.

The amendments brought about by the passage of the Rajasthan Minister's Salaries(Second Amendment) Bill 2005 and the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly(Officers and members' emoluments and pension)(Amendment) Bill 2005 provide for a monthly increase of Rs.3,000 in the emoluments of the MLAs.

The increase is of Rs.1,000 each in the categories of telephone, stationary and water and electricity allowance which amounts to Rs.3000 in total. Hereafter the legislators in the State can avail Railway coupons worth Rs.75,000 a year against coupons worth Rs.50,000 as provided for now.

After the Chief Minister who now gets a monthly salary of Rs.20,000 the highest paid functionary in the Assembly is the Speaker whose salary has been hiked from Rs.14,000 to Rs.18,000. The Cabinet Ministers who got a monthly raise of Rs.4,000 will now draw a salary of Rs.17,000.

The Chief Whip in the Assembly also will get Rs.17,000 as monthly salary. The Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Chief Whip and the Ministers of State are now in a salary slab of Rs.15,000 after receiving a hike of Rs.3,000.

The pension of the former MLAs also has been doubled to be at Rs.2000 a month in the case of one time member. With every additional tenure a amount of Rs.500 would be added.

The legislation on the salary revision was a very smooth affair and it took only less than 15 minutes to pass it as no one had any objection. Amra Ram, the lone MLA from the Communist Party of India(Marxist) in the Rajasthan Assembly, who usually opposes such hikes every time it comes up in the House rose to say something but the overwhelming mood along with the remarks from the members made him to sit back.

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Salaries of Rajasthan Ministers, MLAs increased