West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday announced an hike in honorarium for members of the Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and village panchyats.
After Monday's hike, a Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati will get Rs 9,000 per month instead of Rs 6,600 while an assistant Sabhadhipati will earn up to Rs 8,000 from Rs 5,000.
Banerjee said the state government would have to bear "an additional expenditure of Rs 220-225 crore".
"Earlier, they were getting almost nothing. It's our government who started giving them honorarium...we have decided to give them this hike," she said after holding a meeting with representatives of different Zilla Parishads and heads of village panchayats.
Banerjee said, "The Zilla Parishad, panchayat samity and the gram sabha must work in tandem to improve the panchayat system in the state. I have asked them to give time to improve relationship with the common people.