Salaries of netas hiked by 50 per cent

NT Correspondent

The salary, perks, allowances and other emoluments of presiding officers of both Houses, chief minister, Leaders of Opposition, ministers and legislators will go up following passing of two bills in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Amidst the din, the bills, Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (amended) Bill-2022 and Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (amended) Bill-2022 were passed by a voice vote even as Congress members staged a dharna in the well of the House.

The hike in salaries and allowances will result in an additional burden on the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 67 crore annually. The increase in salary and emoluments for ministers would cost Rs 25.40 crore crore to the state treasury, said Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy.

The hike has been proposed in the wake of a sharp increase livelihood expenses. It was in 2015 that the salary and allowances of ministers and legislators was hiked. Henceforth, salary and other allowances will go up automatically every five years. Not only salary and allowances, even house rent, house maintenance cost and guest entertainment allowance, travelling allowances within Karnataka and outside Karnataka, diesel/petrol quota too have been increased.

The salary of the chief minister will increase from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month. Similarly, the salary of Cabinet rank ministers will go up from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 per month. The House Rent Allowance for ministers will increase from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh per month and the house maintenance cost will be hiked from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per month.

Accordingly, the salary of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, chairman and deputy chairman of the State Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council will go up from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month, annual guest entertainment allowance from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per year, House Rent Allowance from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.6 lakh per month, fuel from 1,000 litres to 2000 litres per month. travelling allowance from Rs 30 to Rs 40 per km, daily travelling allowance fom Rs 2,000 to Rs 3000 and outside state tour allowance from Rs 7500 per day to Rs 10,000 per day.

The salary of leaders of the opposition will increase from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 per month, guest entertainment allowance from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per year, fuel 1,000 litres to 2,000 litres, daily touring allowance Rs 2,000 to Rs 3000 and outside Karnataka tour perks Rs 5,000 to Rs 7000 per day.