Salaries of MLAs, MLCs in Karnataka up by 60%; that of CM, Ministers, Speaker, Council Chairman up 50%

House rent allowance doubled, steep hike in TA, DA and other allowances

In spite of a reduction in revenue owing to the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting economic activities and cut in allocation to many schemes, the Karnataka legislature passed two bills to execute a steep increase in the salary of MLAs, MLCs, Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Leader of Opposition.

Monthly salaries of the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Council would go up from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 while their annual sumptuary allowance would be increased from ₹3 lakh to ₹4lakh. Sumptuary allowance is given for the expenditure incurred on entertaining visitors.

The house rent allowance for the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Government chief whip and Opposition chief whip would be doubled from ₹80,000 to ₹1.60 lakh per month.

Conveyance allowance (equal to the cost of petrol) for the Chairman and Speaker would be doubled from 1,000 litres to 2,000 litres of petrol per month.

The travel allowance of the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Government chief whip and Opposition chief whip would go up from ₹30 to ₹40 per km for road journeys, and daily allowance (DA) would increase from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 for each day of journey and for each day of halt at any place.

In case of tours outside Karnataka, the DA would go up from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 for each day of journey, and from ₹3,500 to ₹7,000 for each day of halt.

Salary, conveyance, and conveyance allowance payable to the Deputy Chairman, Deputy Speaker, or the person performing the duties of the Chairman and the Speaker (in case of vacancies), would be increased from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000 a month while the conveyance allowance would go up from 1,000 litres to 1,500 litres of petrol per month.