In a bonanza, salaries of Tamil Nadu MLAs are set to be nearly doubled with the state government tabling a bill in the state assembly today.
The bill seeks to give effect to the decision taken by the state government last year to hike the pay for legislators and allowances for the chief minister and ministers with effect from July 1, 2017.
As per the bill, the salary and allowances of legislators have been raised from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1,05,000 per month, an increase of 90.91 per cent.
Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam introduced the bill which was opposed by DMK whip R Sakkarapani.
"It is not at all necessary. I am opposing it," rebel AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran and MLA representing R K Nagar told reporters outside the House.
On July 19 last year, chief minister K Palaniswami announced the hike in salary and allowances in the state assembly with effect from July 1.
The bill seeks to amend the Tamil Nadu Payment of Salaries Act, 1951 to give effect to the government's last year hike, which would entail an additional outgo of Rs 25.32 crore per annum.
As per the bill, allowances for the Chief Minister, Ministers, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and the government chief whip have been increased with effect from July 1, 2107.
The Deputy Chief Minister is also now included in the Bill under this category eligible for increased allowances,
Pension for former MLAs and members of the now defunct legislative council has also been increased to Rs 20,000 from Rs 12,000 per month.
Family pension for relatives of late MLAs has also hiked by Rs 10,000. They get 50 per cent of the pension drawn by pensioner-legislators.
The annual medical allowance for retired MLAs was increased to Rs 25,000 from Rs 12,000.
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