Bhubaneswar, 9 December (H.S.): The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday approved a substantial revision in the salaries and pensions of sitting and former MLAs, Ministers, and the Speaker, marking one of the biggest pay hikes in recent years. The Odisha Legislative Assembly (Allowance and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, was passed shortly before the House was adjourned sine die, concluding the Winter Session ahead of schedule.

Under the revised structure, both serving and former MLAs will now receive a uniform monthly salary and pension of ₹90,000, reflecting a significant increase.

Sharp Increase in Speaker’s Emoluments

The Speaker’s pay package has seen one of the highest hikes:

Monthly salary: ₹98,000 (up from ₹40,500)

Sitting allowance: ₹2,000 (up from ₹800)

Car allowance: ₹89,000 (up from ₹17,000)

Sumptuary allowance: ₹1.81 lakh (up from ₹40,000)

Accommodation allowance: ₹2,000 per day until an official residence is allotted

Enhanced Allowances for MLAs

Salaries and allowances for MLAs have also been comprehensively revised. Key changes include:

Sumptuary allowance: ₹96,000 (up from ₹40,000)

Constituency & Lok Seva Bhawan visit allowance: ₹75,000 (up from ₹20,000)

Committee allowance: ₹3,000 (up from ₹1,500)

Allowance for meetings outside Odisha: ₹10,000 (up from ₹2,000)

Travel allowance within state: ₹35/km (up from ₹25/km)

Monthly transport allowance: ₹50,000 (up from ₹15,000)

Member’s monthly allowance: ₹10,000 (up from ₹2,000)

Electricity charges: ₹20,000 (up from ₹5,000)

Medical treatment allowance: ₹35,000 (up from ₹5,000)

Accommodation allowance: ₹2,000 per day (up from ₹1,000)

Motor car advance: ₹10 lakh (up from ₹5 lakh)

MLAs earlier received a basic salary of ₹35,000 along with allowances totalling ₹65,000, excluding travel and session-based benefits. Cabinet Ministers, on the other hand, were drawing a salary of ₹40,000, while Ministers of State received ₹38,000 per month.

After forming the government last year, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi constituted a committee chaired by MLA Bhaskar Madhei to comprehensively review pay and pension structures of legislators. The panel recommended updating compensation to address rising inflation and the financial hardships reportedly faced by several former MLAs.

The hike received broad support from members across party lines, with many highlighting the inadequacy of earlier pensions and allowances in the current economic climate.

The revised pay structure is expected to come into effect immediately after formal notification.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda