AGARTALA, Jan 15: The Tripura Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill seeking an almost 100 per cent hike in the salary, pension and other benefits of chief minister, ministers, speaker, and MLAs.
The bill proposes that the chief minister will now receive a monthly salary of Rs 97,000 with Rs 13,000 as sumptuary allowance while ministers and the leader of the opposition will get Rs 95,000 with an allowance of Rs 12,000 per month.
The MLAs too will now draw Rs 93,000 as salary with Rs 12,000 as allowance.
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Earlier, the chief minister, ministers and MLAs used to get salaries ranging from Rs 50,000 to 48,000.
Parliamentary affairs minister Ratan Lal Nath moved the salaries, allowances, pension and other benefits of the CM, DyCM, minister, speaker, Dy speaker, leader of opposition, chief whip and MLAs Amendment Bill 2024 in the Assembly.
Taking part in the discussions, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Jitendra Chowdhury said around a 100 per cent hike in the salaries and pensions of the lawmakers was not “hundred per cent correct”.
“It is normal to hike salaries and pensions of lawmakers at regular intervals but there must be legitimacy in the process even as I am not against the hike of the lawmakers’ benefits,” he said.
Senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman pointed out loopholes in medical reimbursement bills and sought correction by fixing the upper-limit cap on medical bills of lawmakers.
Roy Barman said, “It is being reported that some MLAs are drawing Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month as medical reimbursement bills every month. It seems we are having ailing lawmakers. There shall be an upper limit in regard to medical reimbursement bills for lawmakers.”
However, the parliamentary affairs minister strongly supported the bill saying that despite the hike the chief minister, ministers and MLAs of the state will receive the lowest perks.
“We have proposed the revised salaries, pension and other benefits for our lawmakers after a gap of six years. Our ministers and MLAs are contributing to the development of the state. They need support from the government. Keeping all aspects in mind, the salaries and pensions were revised,” he said.
The bill was passed by the Assembly unanimously. (PTI)
