Irrespective of partyline, Gujarat lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously passed a Bill proposing hike of almost 65 per cent in their own salaries.
The 182 legislators including that of Ministers, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly would get at least Rs 45,000 hike per month with effect from December 22, 2017.
With approval to The Gujarat Salaries and Allowances of Members, Speaker and Dy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly, Ministers and Leader of Opposition Laws (amendment) Bill, 2018, the monthly salary of MLAs will go up from Rs 70727 to Rs 1.16 Lakh.
In the case of Ministers, Speaker, My Speaker and Leader of Opposition, salary will increase from Rs 86000 to Rs 1.32 Lakh.
The Bill was introduced in the House by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Pradipsinh Jadeja on the second and last day of monsoon session. Instantly without any opposition it was passed by all the MLAs present in the House.
With this Rs six crore areas will be given to MLAs with retrospective effect. Moreover, the new salary structure will put an extra burden of Rs 10 crore annually on the state exchequer.
“Since 2005 salaries of Gujarat MLAs were not revised. In most of the other States salaries of lawmakers revised time to time,” said jadeja’s adding that even after this hike salaries of Gujarat MLAs would remain much lower than states like Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Maharashtra where lawmakers are getting monthly remuneration of Rs 2.50 Lakh, 2.13 Lakh and Rs 2.25 Lakh respectively.
Accordingly to him MLAs of West Bengal, Odisha and Tamilnadu are taking lesser salaries compared to revised salaries of Gujarat lawmakers.
In the 182-members Gujarat Assembly there are 99 members of ruling BJP, 77 of main Opposition Congress party, one NCP MLA and three independent MLAs.