The monthly salary of Karnataka Chief Minister would jump two-and-half-times, while pay packets of Ministers and Legislators would double, as per amendment bills passed in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
As per the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances Act, 1956 (Karnataka Act 5 of 1957), the Chief Minister was being paid a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. The amendment bill takes it to Rs 30,000.
Similarly, Cabinet Ministers’ salary would go up from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 and that of Ministers of State from Rs 8,000 to Rs 16,000.
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Besides salaries, house rent allowances, conveyance allowances and rates of Travelling Allowance and Dearness Allowance have also been revised.
“There is a considerable increase in cost of living. The salary of the Chief Minister, Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Chief Ministers have not been revised since a long time”, according to the amendment bill’s statement of objects and reasons.
There would be an approximate annual expenditure of Rs 2.5 crore by the amendment bill concerning Chief Minister and Ministers, according to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio.
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With the opposition Congress and JDS boycotting Assembly proceedings demanding the resignation of Mr. Yeddyurappa and Speaker K G Bopaiah over a recent Supreme Court verdict on MLAs’ disqualification case, the bill was passed without debate.
The “sumptuary allowance” of Rs 75,000 per annum being drawn by the Chief Minister and Cabinet Ministers has now been doubled to Rs 1.5 lakh.
House rent allowance of Ministers has been doubled to Rs 40,000 a month, while conveyance allowance which was equal to cost of 500 litres of petrol per month, raised to 750 litres.
Cost of petrol required for their respective cars in excess of the cost of 750 litres would be paid by the Government.
Similarly, travelling and other allowances of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers on tours have been enhanced.
The House also passed the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Second Amendment) Bill, 2011 which amended pricipal act enacted in 1956 (Karnataka Act 2 of 1957), which among others raised the monthly salary of MLAs and MLCs from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.
Similarly, the salary of Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council Chairman has been raised from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000, while also raising the conveyance allowance.
Travelling and daily allowances of legislators have also been hiked.
Minister for Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar said Rs 23.47 crore is a probable expenditure per annum from this measure.