The state government on Wednesday introduced the `UP legislature (member’s emoluments and pension) Amendment Bill, 2016 settingthe ball rolling hefty hikes in salary and allowances of sitting and ex MlAs. The pension of ex-MlAs has also been hiked. The Amendment Bill is likely to be passed by the Assembly on Thursday.
With the latest hike, the MlAs will be richer by Rs 50,000 per month against teh present salary of Rs 75,000 and their total emoluments would go up to Rs 1.25 lakh per month.
Besides, the annual amount of Railway coupon, diesel and air travel has been increased from Rs 3.25 lakh per year to Rs 4.25 lakh per annum.
The pension of ex-MlAs has also been hiked from minimum Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. For each year served by a legislator, the pension will increase by Rs 2,000 against the previous Rs 1,000.
The hike in emoluments of legislators would cause an additional recurring annual burden of Rs 129 crores on the state exchequer. The is the third hike in emoluments of MlAs during the tenure of Akhilesh Yadav government. The emoluments were increased in June 2014, March 2015 and in August 2016.
The SP government decided to hike the salary and allowance of the MlAs where 271 legislators amongthe 403 member state Assembly are crorepatis (multi- millionaires).
According to a report compiled by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the basis of affidavits on assets submitted by candidates along with nomination papers for 2012 Assembly polls, the figure of crorepati MlAs was 67 per cent of the total strength of the House. Of these, maximum crorepatis belonged to the ruling SP which has 140, followed by the BSP (63), the BJP (32) and the Rashtriya lok Dal (7).
The statement of objects and reasons for the Amendment Bill said that `in view of price rise and increase of responsibilities, it has been decided to amend the Act to revise pay, allowances, railway coupons and other amenities admissible to members of the State legislature and to increase pension and Railway coupons admissible to ex-members and to give facility of cash payment out of coupons admissible to them’.