Committee to decide on MLA pay hike

Following a demand by Maharashtra legislators for hike in salary equivalent to the secretary and additional chief secretary, a committee has been formed to take a decision over the same. Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the committee will take a decision within a week and the final decision on the salary hike would be taken before the end of the ongoing Monsoon Session.

The committee will comprise speaker of the Assembly Haribhau Bagade, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Mungantiwar and the Leaders of Opposition in both Lower and Upper Houses, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Dhananjay Munde.

Mr Bagade on Thursday called a joint meeting to discuss the increase in salary of legislators and their personal assistants (PAs) at his office in Vidhan Bhavan. Chairman of state Legislative Council Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Mr Fadnavis, Mr Mungantiwar, Mr Vikhe-Patil, Mr Munde and senior minister Garish Bapat were present at the meeting.

More than 150 MLAs had requested the speaker to hold a meeting over increasing their salary. According to Mr Mungantiwar, legislators demanded an increase in salary in such a manner that they will be able to afford to provide at least tea and lunch to karyartas (workers).

“Since 2010, the salary of MLAs has not been increased and hence their demand is legitimate,” said Mr Mungantiwar. However, whatever be the salary, it would be decided by a committee, he added.

Mr Bapat said there is a huge difference in the salaries of MLAs and secretary and additional chief secretaries. “An MLA has to travel at least in three tehsils as boundary of his constituency has expanded. It is not possible to adjust in a mere Rs 75,000 salary,” said Mr Bapat.

He added that a minister receives lesser salary than legislators. “It is true that a minister receives Rs 57,000 as salary, but we have other facilities like bungalows and miscellaneous allowances,” Mr Mungantiwar agreed.

“However, the accumulated amount is not sufficient,” he added.

“Even being LoP, we are not getting more than Rs 58,000 per month,” said Mr Vikhe -Patil.

Those in the rank of chief secretary and additional chief secretary rank receive a salary of Rs 1.9 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per month. Legislators have demanded they should get a minimum salary of Rs 2 lakh. Meanwhile, the meeting took a decision to increase the salary of PAs from the existing Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. It was also decided that a computer operator would be provided to each legislator.