In a significant move, the State Assembly has decided to ask 21 MLAs who hold an office of profit to return various allowances given to them for taking part in legislature sessions.
The legislature, on September 22, ordered withholding of salaries of 21 MLAs, including R.V. Devaraj, Mallikaiah Venkaiah Guttedar, M.T.B. Nagaraj, B.R. Yavagal, K. Vasanth Bangera and D. Sudhakar. The accounts wing of the legislature Secretariat was also directed to withhold payment of allowances.
According to documents available, the question on whether MLAs — who are appointed as chairpersons of various Boards and Corporations — are eligible to receive salary and allowances in the capacity of legislators arose when some of them requested for their pay even after drawing salary and allowances for the chairpersons’ post.
The officials of the Secretariat then sought opinion of the Advocate-General and Account- ant-General of Karnataka, who said that MLAs are not entitled to salaries and allowances provided to them by executive order of the State while being appointed as chairmen of any Board or Corporation.
Sources in the Secretariat said that MLAs appointed as chairmen of Boards and Corporations claiming salary and allowances was a practice all these years. However, with opinions of the Advocate-General and Accountant-General, the air is cleared.
