Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly Tuesday increased the monthly salary of its members more than three times — from Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh, one of the highest in the country.
The enhanced salary will be effective from June 2024, when the 17th Assembly was formed, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling after the House unanimously passed four bills effecting the increase.
The salary of the chief minister, ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, the leader of the opposition and the pension of ex-MLAs were also increased by around three times.
The bills also have a provision that includes Rs 25 lakh assistance to the family of any sitting MLA in the event of death, along with provisions to increase pay, allowances and pension every five years. One of the bills passed also allows such hikes through ordinance without requiring a fresh bill, the minister said.
Presently, an ordinary law-maker of the Odisha Assembly receives a monthly package of around Rs 1.11 lakh, combining salary, allowances and other financial benefits. Now, the package would be Rs 3,45,000.
The hike is around 3.10 times for MLAs, for which the members have been demanding since 2007. All the members thanked the chief minister for approval of the four bills that enhanced the salary and pension of MLAs and ex-MLAs.
While a MLA’s salary will be Rs 90,000, s/he will also get Rs 75,000 as constituency/ secretarial allowance of Rs 75,000, Rs 50,000 as conveyance allowance, Rs 10,000 towards books, journals and periodicals allowance, Rs 20,000 as electricity allowance, Rs 50,000 as fixed travelling alloance, Rs 35,000 for medical allowance and Rs 15,000 as telephone allowance, the provision of the Bill said.
Similarly, an ex-MLA will get Rs 1.17 lakh as pension which includes Rs 80,000 as pension, Rs 25,000 as medical allowance and Rs 12,500 as travelling allowance. For each term, an MLA will get an additional Rs 3,000, the new provision said.
According to the bills passed, the chief minister will get Rs 3,74,000 per month, while Assembly Speaker and Deputy Chief Minister are entitled to receive Rs 3,68,000, Deputy Speaker and minister of state Rs 3,56,000 each. Cabinet ministers and the leader of the opposition will get Rs 3,62,000 each per month.
The government chief whip and his/her deputy will get Rs 3,62,000 and Rs 3,50,000 per month, respectively.
The members across party lines supported the four Bills — the Odisha Legislative Assembly Members’ Salary, Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Deputy Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Ministers’ Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025.
The MLAs unanimously stated that the revision was the need of the hour to align compensation with current responsibilities and economic realities.
“The hike in pension will particularly help the former MLAs who have been old and sick,” said Opposition chief whip and former Speaker Pramila Mallik.
