Srinagar, March 29: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today passed bills for two-fold hike in salaries of legislators and ministers.
Three Bills moved by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar were passed with voice vote after a debate in the Assembly.
Sagar said the Bills were introduced one-and-a-half years ago but due to certain reasons they could not be passed. He said the government has succeeded in building consensus on the structure and quantum of hike in the salaries and perks for legislators and Ministers.
The bills proposed increasing emoluments of the Chief Minister from Rs 45,000 to Rs 70,000 per month, Cabinet Ministers from Rs 40,000 to Rs 65,000 per month and Ministers of State, MLAs and MLCs from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,300 per month.
Emoluments of the MLAs and MLCs have been kept under various heads with Rs 30,000 salary, Rs 22,000 constituency and conveyance allowance, Rs 7300 telephone allowance and Rs 1000 medical allowance.
As per the new scheme, cabinet minister would get Rs 85,000, Chief Minsiter Rs 90,000 and Speaker Rs 90,000.
Muzaffar Hussain Baig said that the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission has necessitated corresponding hike in salaries of legislators especially in view of price rise.
Opposing the hike, CPI(M)”s M Y Tarigami remarked that it does not befit the legislators to crave for hike in their salaries. He said there should have been an expert committee to decide the issue.
Indpendent MLA Er Rashid opposed the Bill and said that instead of hiking the salary, the institution of the legislature should be strengthened. He also called for increasing remuneration to the PAs of MLAs.
——–PTI