The hikes will result in a recurring, additional expenditure of approximately Rs 92.4 crore per annum.
The lawmakers of Karnataka united to give themselves a pay hike of more than 40 per cent as the budget session of the assembly came to an end on Tuesday. Salaries and allowances of Chief Minister, Ministers and legislators have been enhanced amid a major budget deficit of Rs 15,134 crore.
The hikes will result in a recurring, additional expenditure of approximately Rs 92.4 crore per annum.
The state assembly passed the two bills without discussion on Tuesday - during a brief lull amid weeklong protests by the Congress. Cutting across political boundaries, the MLAs approved the hike that is pushing up their salary from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000.
The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022, were moved by the government, which said they have been pending for long.
The bill on Ministers salaries and allowances proposes to increase the salary of the Chief Minister from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month. The salary of Ministers will go up from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000, and sumptuary allowance for both will be increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh per annum.
The bill also proposes salary hikes for Legislative Assembly Speaker and Legislative Council chairperson from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. The monthly salary of the Leaders of the Opposition has been increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000.
It also proposes to enhance the salary of MLAs and MLCs from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.
It also proposes to increase the house rent allowance of ministers from Rs 80,000 per month to Rs 1.20 lakh.
The allowance for maintenance and upkeep has been increased from Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 30,000.
The amount of petrol for which the government will bear costs, has been increased from 1000 to 2000 litres.
The tour allowance for ministers has been upped to Rs 2,500 per day.