Jharkhand CM, Ministers, MLAs get another salary hike

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has increased the salary of legislators, ministers, the Speaker and the Chief Minister for the second time in the last two and a half years.

"The Jharkhand cabinet gave its approval to increase the salary of legislators, Ministers, Speaker, Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister," Cabinet Secretary SKG Rahate told reporters.

The last salary hike in the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Chief Minister Raghubar Das was done in May 2015.

The basic salary of the Chief Minister has been increased from existing Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 and the legislators from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.

The Leader of Opposition will now get a basic salary of Rs 65,000 per month - up from Rs 50,000 and the Speaker Rs 78,000 - up from Rs 55,000.

Rahate said the basic salary of the Chief Whip will be Rs 55,000, against the existing Rs 35,000 while that of the Deputy Chief Whip would be Rs 50,000 and the Whips Rs 45,000 from the earlier Rs 30,000. 

The Cabinet also decided to hike the allowances of the members of the house.

As per the decision, the Chief Minister and the Speaker would be entitled for area allowance of Rs 80,000 while that for refreshments would be Rs 70,000 per month.

Cabinet Ministers and the Leader of Opposition would get an area allowance of Rs 80,000 per month while their refreshment allowance would be Rs 45,000, while legislators will get an area allowance of Rs 50,000 up from existing Rs 20,000 per month, apart from other facilities.

The other facilities include housing, personal assistant, air and railway facilities and other things.