Bhubaneswar: The process to withdraw the proposed bill to increase legislators’ salaries has been initiated, with the Assembly Secretariat sending letters to all members of the House in this regard.
The communication follows a notice from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, who requested the bill’s withdrawal, officials said.
Also Read : Odisha Assembly may reconsider MLAs’ salary hike bill
Introduced last year, the bill proposed a significant hike in salaries and allowances for the Speaker, Chief Minister, ministers, and MLAs. If passed, MLAs would have received about Rs 3.45 lakh per month, including allowances. The Chief Minister’s salary and allowances would have been around Rs 3.74 lakh, while Cabinet and state ministers were to receive nearly Rs 3.60 lakh.
The proposed hike drew criticism from various quarters, with concerns raised over the high pay compared to legislators in other states.
Following the backlash, political parties across the spectrum urged the government to withdraw the bill.
