The Akhilesh Yadav government paved the way for giving a salary raise to the Chief Minister and his ministers by introducing the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill.
This also ensures houses for former Chief Ministers.
The Bill was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday and is likely to be passed on Tuesday.
The Bill was enacted following a Supreme Court ruling asking ex-CMs and private organisations to vacate bungalows provided by the government within two months. The SC on August 1 had ordered vacation of these bungalows within two months on a petition filed by a lucknow-based NGO, lok Prahari.
The state government argued that in view of the security requirement of former CMs, it has been decided to provide official residences to them. Those in possession of such accommodation include Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Naresh Yadav, ND Tewari , Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh and Mayawati.
The Act also encompasses hike in salaries for the CM and his ministerial colleagues. The basic salary of the CM, cabinet ministers and minister of states would now be Rs 40,000 against the present Rs 12,000. Similarly, deputy ministers would get a salary of Rs 35,000 per month. After the raise, the CM’s monthly salary would be Rs 1.41 lakh while the package of Cabinet rank ministers would be Rs 1.29 lakh which include all perks.
The ministers and legislators get hefty allowances which include Rs 30,000 as election allowance, Rs 24,000 as daily allowance, Rs 20,000 medical allowance and representative allowances of Rs 15,000 per month. Besides, ministers and legislators get unlimited telephone and electricity reimbursement.
In his statement, the CM said that pay and allowances of ministers have not been revised for a long time. “In view of price rise and escalation in cost of living, it was decided to revise the pay and compensatory allowances of ministers,” Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the UP government also tabled a new Allotment of Houses under Control of the Estate Department Bill -2016 to regulate allotment of government houses and flats given to different section of the society including politicians, state employees, journalists, judges and others.
As per the Bill, now Central and state government officials would be allotted houses during their posting in lucknow while for the others, except for trusts, it would be for two years with yearly renewal. For trusts, it would be for five years with an extension of another five years.