Bhubaneswar, 14 December (H.S.): Reacting to Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik’s decision to forgo the enhanced salary of legislators, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Ganeshwar Behera on Saturday said that Patnaik is not dependent on his salary, which is why he chose to decline it.

Behera clarified that while the decision is Naveen Patnaik’s personal choice, the enhanced salary is necessary for many legislators, including himself. He added that Naveen Patnaik has never asked party MLAs to refrain from accepting the revised pay.

The BJD MLA further stated that the party had demanded an increase in legislators’ salaries and had supported the salary hike Bill in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. “Therefore, there is no question of opposing the salary increase,” he said.

Emphasising the realities faced by elected representatives, Behera noted that several MLAs are working under financial constraints and said the public needs to understand these circumstances.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda