It’s party time in TN as govt hikes MLAs’ salary

chennai — The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday almost doubled the salary and allowances of MLAs, taking their new pay packet to Rs105,000 per month.

As per the announcement made by Chief Minister K Palaniswami in the state assembly, the salary and allowances of legislators had been raised from the existing Rs55,000 to Rs105,000 per month, an increase of 90.91 per cent.

He was responding to the representations made by legislators, including S Pandi and former MLAs, seeking a hike in salary and pension.

Speaker P Dhanapal said he could see happiness was writ large on the face of all MLAs cutting across party lines. He was happy too about the increase.

Allowances for the chief minister, ministers, the speaker, deputy speaker, the leader of the opposition and the government chief whip were also increased with (retrospective) effect from July 1 this year.

Similarly, ‘MLA Constituency Development Scheme’ fund allocation was hiked to Rs20.50 million from the present Rs20.50 million from this year (2017-18), Palaniswami said. The fund could be used for initiatives, including laying roads, constructing additional buildings for schools and PDS outlets, he added.

Pension for former MLAs and members of the now defunct legislative council will be increased to Rs20,000 from the present Rs12,000. The CM also hiked the monthly pension for journalists to Rs10,000 from the current Rs8,000 and allowance for the Assembly Watch and Ward staff as well.

Giving the break up of MLA’s pay hike, he said their salary would be increased from Rs8,000 to Rs30,000. Similarly, compensatory allowance will be Rs10,000 from Rs7,000 while telephone allowance has been revised to Rs7,500 from Rs5,000.

The constituency allowance goes up to Rs25,000 from Rs10,000 and consolidated allowance to Rs5,000 from Rs2,500.

Vehicle allowance will be upwardly revised to Rs25,000 from Rs20,000. Postal allowance will continue to be same at Rs2,500.

As regards the chief minister, ministers and speaker, their compensatory allowance will now be Rs15,000 and expenditure allowance Rs0,000 and constituency allowance Rs25,000. — PTI