Guv nod to MLAs, ministers’ wages

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25

Governor Kalyan Singh today passed three Bills to enhance emoluments to ministers and MLAs.

The three Bills were passed by the Assembly on April 10. It is reliably learnt that Governor Kalyan Singh gave his permission and sent the files back from Jaipur.

On the other hand, Governor Kalyan Singh is yet to take a decision on the Himachal Pradesh Sports (Registration, Recognition and Regulation of Associations) Bill, 2015, passed by the Assembly on the same day.

The cash-strapped coffers of the state government will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 3.58 crore annually to provide higher emoluments to its ministers, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and MLAs.

The three Bills include the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Himachal Pradesh) Amendment Bill 2015, the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s Salaries (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill 2015.

The reasons cited by the government for the enhancement, the maximum for the legislators, suggested that there had been a persistent demand by the public representatives that their existing emoluments be revised as there had been a sharp increase in the cost of living and the expenditure that the MLAs had to incur.

It had been pointed out that the enhancement had been made as per the recommendations of the Members Amenities Committee of the Assembly.

After this, the daily allowance of MLAs would be enhanced from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 and they will henceforth be entitled to an allowance of Rs 12,000 per month to engage the services of a data or computer entry operator to facilitate them in their work. The travelling allowance of ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs would also be hiked.