Proposal To Hike Delhi MLAs' Salary 'Restricted' By Home Ministry: Report

A proposal to grant more salary and allowances for Delhi MLAs was pending with the MHA for the last 5 years. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal | File Image

Proposal for an increase in salary and allowances of Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) has been "restricted" by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). A proposal to grant more salary and allowances for Delhi MLAs was pending with the MHA for the last 5 years. 

MHA has "restricted the proposal" from Delhi Assembly to increase MLA's salary and wages, sources informed news agency IANS. The proposal sent to MHA suggested Delhi MLA's salary and wages to be hiked from the current Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 and their overall monthly pay from Rs 88,000 at present to Rs 2.1 lakh.

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A six-member committee was formed by the Delhi Assembly to take up the issue with the Centre. The Committee had passed the Bill in 2015 with a proposal to increase the salary and wages of Delhi MLAs. The committee also highlighted that the salary of Delhi MLAs hasn't increased since 2011.

The Committee had furnished details justifying their salary demands as they highlighted that MLAs of Uttarakhand make around Rs 1.98 lakh monthly in the name of salary, in Himachal Pradesh Rs 1.90 lakh, in Haryana Rs 1.55 lakh, and in Bihar Rs 1.3lakh. The Rajasthan government pays around Rs 1.42 lakh to its MLAs and Telangana around Rs 2.5 lakh per month.

Delhi government doesn't have provisions to give allowances to legislators like house rent allowance, office rent, and staff expenses, allowance for buying office equipment, the vehicle for usage, driver allowance like some other states do.

Meanwhile, sources in the Delhi government have informed news agency IANS that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will discuss the matter during the cabinet meeting proposed for Tuesday.

(With IANS Inputs)