Delhi Assembly sets up a panel after MLAs demand salary hike

The Delhi Assembly on Wednesday formed a five-member committee to examine legislators' demands for an increase in their salary and benefits, following complaints from both treasury and Opposition benches that their salaries are the "lowest" in the country.

- Alok KN Mishra

NEW DELHI:

The committee, constituted by Speaker Vijender Gupta, will also review the demand to increase the number of data entry operators assigned to each MLA from two to four.

"The speaker has constituted an ad-hoc committee to review the salaries, allowances, and other facilities of legislators and to provide appropriate recommendations. This decision was taken keeping in view the sentiments and requirements of the members. The objective of the committee is to examine the current status of salaries and allowances and to consider potential amendments, so that legislators may receive suitable facilities," the Delhi Assembly said in a statement.

The last salary revision for Delhi MLAs was in March 2023, when they received a 66.67% hike, raising their total monthly salary and allowances from ₹54,000 to ₹90,000. Salaries and allowances for the chief minister, ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, chief whip, and Leader of the Opposition increased from ₹72,000 to ₹1,70,000 per month.

The salary of then CM Arvind Kejriwal rose 136% to ₹1.7 lakh per month.

To be sure, the development comes days after the salaries of members of Parliament was hiked by 24%, using a new mechanism that will periodically review MPs' remunerations based on inflation.

During the third sitting of the ongoing budget session, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surya Prakash Khatri moved a motion demanding that each MLA be assigned four data entry operators instead of two, with their remuneration increased.