Delhi MLAs’ salaries lowest in India? Find out how much legislators make in states across the country
The Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly which begins on July 4 is set to bring in a wave of happiness for legislators of the Delhi Assembly. A bill proposing a staggering 66% hike in MLAs’ salaries is set to be tabled after the Centre’s go-ahead to Delhi government’s proposal earlier in May. After the proposed hike, the salary of legislators in the national capital will increase to Rs 90,000 per month from the Rs 54,000 per month, including monthly emoluments, that a Delhi MLA currently draws. The salary component alone will increase from Rs 12,000 per month to Rs 30,000 per month.
The breakup of revised salary and allowances includes a basic salary of Rs 30,000, constituency allowance of Rs 25,000, secretarial allowance of Rs 15,000, telephone allowance of Rs 10,000, and conveyance allowance of Rs 10,000.
Surprisingly, despite the hike, legislators in the national capital claim that they will continue to be among the lowest paid MLAs in India. Which brings us to the million-dollar question — how much money do MLAs really make in India, as per official figures? Which state pays the highest to its MLAs and which are the other states where the salaries are comparatively lower?
Here’s the monthly salary of an MLA across states in India:
Andhra Pradesh – Rs. 1,25,000
Arunachal Pradesh – Rs. 1,20,000
Assam – Rs. 60,000
Bihar – Rs. 1,65,000
Chhattisgarh – Rs. 1,35,000
Delhi MLA – Rs 90,000 (post hike)
Goa – Rs. 1,00,000
Gujarat – Rs. 1,27,000
Haryana – Rs. 1,15,000
Himachal Pradesh – Rs. 1,25,000
Jammu & Kashmir – Rs. 1,60,000
Jharkhand – Rs. 1,51,000
Karnataka – Rs. 2,05,000
Kerala – Rs. 43,750
Madhya Pradesh – Rs. 2,10,000
Maharashtra – Rs. 1,60,000
Manipur – Rs. 1,12,500
Meghalaya – Rs. 60,000
Mizoram – Rs. 65,000
Nagaland – Rs. 1,00,000
Odisha – Rs. 1,00,000
Punjab – Rs. 1,10,000
Rajasthan – Rs. 55,000
Sikkim – Rs. 52,000
Tamil Nadu – Rs. 1,13,000
Telangana – Rs. 2,30,000
Tripura – Rs. 48,420
Uttar Pradesh – Rs. 1,87,000
Uttarakhand – Rs. 1,60,000
West Bengal – Rs. 81,870
Puducherry – Rs.1,05,000
As is evident, legislators in Delhi will draw lesser salaries than most of their counterparts in other states. According to the official Telangana legislature website, the legislators in the state draw Rs 2,30,000 per month, which is the highest MLA salary in India. In Madhya Pradesh, MLAs draw Rs 2,10,000 per month, closely followed by Karnataka legislators who draw Rs 2,05,000 per month. On the other hand, Kerala MLAs draw the lowest salary among the lot at Rs 43,200 per month, followed by Tripura MLAs who earn Rs 48,000 per month.
The salaries of the Members of Parliament, governed by The Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, is amended on every occasion when the salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament (MP) are either reduced or increased. An MP draws a basic salary of Rs 1,00,000. The other components of an MP’s salary includes — constituency allowance of Rs 70,000 and Rs 60,000 of office expense allowance. In 2020, a bill was passed to reduce the salaries and allowances of MPs for a year following the pandemic. The basic salary came down to Rs 70,000 after a 30% cut. The allowances also saw a reduction of 30%.
(Salaries sourced from media reports and official state gazette notifications)
