In spite of a reduction in revenue owing to the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting economic activities and cut in allocation to many schemes, the Karnataka legislature passed two bills to execute a steep increase in the salary of MLAs, MLCs, Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Leader of Opposition.
Monthly salaries of the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Council would go up from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 while their annual sumptuary allowance would be increased from ₹3 lakh to ₹4lakh. Sumptuary allowance is given for the expenditure incurred on entertaining visitors.
The house rent allowance for the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Government chief whip and Opposition chief whip would be doubled from ₹80,000 to ₹1.60 lakh per month.
Conveyance allowance (equal to the cost of petrol) for the Chairman and Speaker would be doubled from 1,000 litres to 2,000 litres of petrol per month.
The travel allowance of the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Government chief whip and Opposition chief whip would go up from ₹30 to ₹40 per km for road journeys, and daily allowance (DA) would increase from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 for each day of journey and for each day of halt at any place.
In case of tours outside Karnataka, the DA would go up from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 for each day of journey, and from ₹3,500 to ₹7,000 for each day of halt.
Salary, conveyance, and conveyance allowance payable to the Deputy Chairman, Deputy Speaker, or the person performing the duties of the Chairman and the Speaker (in case of vacancies), would be increased from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000 a month while the conveyance allowance would go up from 1,000 litres to 1,500 litres of petrol per month.
The quantity of petrol offere for discharging duties of the Deputy Chairman and the Deputy Speaker would be hiked from 750 litres to 1,500 litres per month.
The monthly salary of the Leader of Opposition in both Houses would go up from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000, and the conveyance allowance would go up from 1,000 litres to 2,000 litres. They are eligible for fuel for their cars, and the limit would be doubled from 750 litres to 1,500 litres of petrol.
The monthly salary of the chief whips (both government and opposition) would be hiked from ₹35,000 to ₹50,000. Their conveyance allowance would go up from 1,000 liters of petrol to 1,500 liters per month.
MLA and MLC
The monthly salaries of MLAs and MLCs would increase from ₹25,000 to ₹40,000. Pension of legislators would be hiked from ₹40,000 to ₹Rs 50,000 in case he or she serves one term. If a person has served more than five years, an additional pension at the rate of ₹5,000 per month would be given for every subsequent completed term, but it should not exceed ₹1 lakh.
Travelling allowance for legislators would go up from ₹25 to ₹35 per km irrespective of mode of journey. The DA for legislators attending meetings would be increased from ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 within Karnataka, and from ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 outside the State. The local transport allowance would go up from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 outside Karnataka.
The monthly constituency allowance for legislators would go up from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000. The annual leave cum travelling (LTA) allowance for legislators, including ministers and presiding officers, goes up from ₹2 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh. Telephone allowance remains unchanged at ₹20,000 per month.
The salary of a personal assistant and the room boy of legislators would go up from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per month.
All these hikes would cost the State exchequer ₹67 crore per year.
The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022 were passed without debate amidst protest by Congress members in the House seeking resignation of RDPR Minister K S Eshwarappa for his remark on hoisting the saffron colour flag at the Red Fort in the distant future.
According to the Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022, salary of all members, and presiding officers, and members holding positions in the legislature is linked to the Cost Inflation Index provided under clause (V) of the explanation to Section 48 of the Income tax Act, 1961. So, salaries would automatically get revised once in five years, starting from April 1, 2023. There would be no necessity to introduce a bill in the future.
Salary of CM, Ministers up by 50%
The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed in the legislature on February 22, which would increase the monthly salary of the Chief Minister from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 while the salary of ministers goes up from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000. Their sumptuary allowance would go up from ₹3 lakh to ₹4.50 lakh per annum.
The salary for Minister of State rank will be increased from ₹35,000 to ₹50,000, and sumptuary allowance will go up from ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh per annum.
Ministers’ house rent allowance would be increased from ₹80,000 to ₹1.20 lakh per month, and maintenance allowance would be up from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000.
The travel and other allowances of ministers too would go up.
Hike in salaries and allowances of Ministers would cost ₹25.40 crore per annum.
The government attributed the hike to the rise in fuel prices.
