Salaries, pension of CM, ministers, MLAs hiked

In a bonanza ahead of Diwali, the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs and former legislators in Himachal will now be entitled to enhanced salaries, allowances and pension. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has given assent to the three Bills in this regard, which the Vidhan Sabha had passed on March 28 this year.

The Vidhan Sabha had passed the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2025, during the monsoon session earlier this year. As the Governor has given assent, the amendments have been notified in the “rajpatra”. The salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs were hiked last time in May 2016.

Though the previous BJP government had also introduced an amendment Bill to hike their salaries and allowances, it was dropped after opposition from some quarters due to the Covid pandemic. With the Governor’s assent, the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Act, 2025; Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s Salaries (Amendment) Act, 2025; and the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Himachal Pradesh) Amendment Act, 2025, have come into effect.

There is a provision in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Act, 2025, for an automatic increase in the salaries and allowances of the MLAs after every five years, linking these to the cost inflation index, as per the Income Tax Act, 1961. This provision will now eliminate the need for an amendment to the Act for enhancing the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs.

The Chief Minister’s salary will now rise from Rs 95,000 to Rs 1.15 lakh per month, Speaker’s from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000, Deputy Speaker’s from Rs 75,000 to Rs 92,000, Cabinet ministers’ from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000, state ministers from Rs 78,000 to 93,000, Deputy Ministers from Rs 75,000 to Rs 80,000 and MLAs from Rs 55,000 to Rs 70,000. The salary of former MLAs has been enhanced from Rs 36,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. The sumptuary allowances for all these categories have also been hiked.

The MLAs are likely to get a major financial benefit as their daily allowance will go up from to Rs 2,500, constituency allowance to Rs 1.20 lakh and office allowance to Rs 90,000.

The Act also makes a provision for providing a former Chief Minister with a Type-VI accommodation. Also, the salary, allowances and benefits of the Leader of the Opposition will be equal to that of Cabinet ministers.

Legislators’ pay to rise every 5 years

• There is a provision in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Act, 2025, for an automatic increase in the salaries and allowances of the MLAs after every five years, linking these to the cost inflation index, as per the Income Tax Act, 1961
• This provision will now eliminate the need for an amendment to the Act for enhancing the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs