The salary and allowances of Chandigarh Mayor, senior deputy mayor, deputy mayor and councillors have been enhanced significantly.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil has given nod to the proposal of their salary hike bringing them on a par with their counterparts in Punjab.

Sources said, “The UT Administrator has approved the long pending demand of MCC senior functionaries and they would now get monthly honorarium as being paid in Punjab.”

As per the approved proposal, the mayor will get a hike of about 33 per cent from the current honorarium. The monthly honorarium of Mayor has been increased to Rs20,000 from current Rs15,000.

Sources said, “Now, the senior deputy mayor will receive monthly salary of Rs16,000, an increase of over 100 per cent from existing Rs6,500.”

The deputy mayor who was getting Rs6,000, would now get a monthly honorarium of Rs12,500. “Besides, the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will also get an extra allowance of Rs1,000.”

The salary of the councillors will witness 100 per cent hike. All the councillors will get Rs10,000 now. Earlier, the councillors were paid a monthly honorarium of Rs5,000.

Also, the councillors would be paid Rs500 for the meetings of the House and Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC). Earlier, they were paid Rs200 for attending the meetings.

It may be recalled that the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh had mooted the proposal of salary hike after a notification in Punjab dated October 2011, wherein the salaries had been increased.

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh was established in the year 1996.

At that time, the monthly honorarium for the councillors was fixed at Rs1,000 per month and that of the Mayor at Rs2,000 per month.