UP MLAs, ex-MLAs to get fatter pay packet due to price rise

Lucknow: Sitting legislators as well as former members of the Uttar Pradesh legislature will soon enjoy a steep hike in salaries and pension with the passage of a bill which cited price rise for the pay revision. The UP State Legislature (Members' Emoluments and Pension) (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed unanimously by the state Assembly today before it was adjourned sine die. The hike will put an additional burden of Rs 128 crore on the state exchequer. The Bill, which was introduced yesterday, proposes an increase in monthly salary to Rs 25,000 from Rs 10,000, constituency allowance from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000, medical allowance from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 and secretary allowance from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. Annual diesel and travel allowance in the form of railway coupons permissible to legislators is likely to go up from Rs 3.25 lakh to Rs 4.25 lakhs of which up to Rs 25,000 can be availed every month for diesel and petrol for private vehicles. Similarly, the daily allowance of legislators will increase to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,000 when the House is in session. For former MLAs, the pension has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. Likewise, railway coupons to former MLAs will be increased to Rs 1 lakh yearly from Rs 80,000. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill states, "in view of the price rise and increase of responsibilities, it has been decided to amend the said act to revise pay, allowances, railway coupons and other amenities admissible to the 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." The House also passed UP State University (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and Maulana Jauhar University (Amendment) Bill, 2016. On Jauhar University Bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohd Azam Khan said the university stood on 450 acres and due to a number of faculties running there, its expansion was needed.