Delhi’s legislators have got a 66.67% hike in salary and allowances and will now get ₹90,000 monthly instead of ₹54,000 earlier. The salary and allowances of the chief minister and ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, the chief whip, and leader of the opposition have been increased from the existing ₹72,000 to ₹170,000 monthly.
The basic salary for lawmakers has increased from ₹12,000 monthly to ₹30,000 and that of ministers from ₹20,000 to ₹60,000 per month.
The Delhi government’s law, justice, and legislative affairs department issued a notification on Thursday last for the salary and allowances hike. This is the first such revision since 2011.
The latest salary hike came into effect from February 14 when the President gave her assent to the move.
Ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s chief whip Dilip Kumar Pandey said despite the hike Delhi continues to have the lowest-paid legislators in the country. “We welcome the approval of the salary and allowances revision, but we are still the lowest paid despite Delhi being among the cities with the highest cost of living in the country,” said Pandey.
An official said the pension of former lawmakers has also increased. “Now the former MLAs [members of legislative assembly] will get ₹15,000 per month as pension instead of ₹7500,” the official said.
The Delhi assembly passed five bills seeking a hike in salaries and allowances for Delhi ministers and MLAs in July 2022. Both AAP, as well as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party lawmakers, backed the bills that were later sent to the President through Delhi’s lieutenant governor.
Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said it is for the first time in 11 years that the salary and allowances of Delhi legislators have increased. “The legislators of Delhi deserved a salary and allowances revision so that they can foot their bills.”
The Union home ministry rejected a December 2015 Delhi government proposal for ₹2.10 lakh monthly salary and allowances for the MLAs.
