The lawmakers of Odisha have been in news for effecting a three-fold increase in their salaries and allowances by passing four bills unanimously in the state assembly recently. If the governor puts his stamp of approval on the Bills, the MLAs will become the highest paid lawmakers of the country. But the move seems to have created a severe public backlash, forcing the legislators to urge the chief minister to review the hike.
There is no denying that salaries and allowances of people’s representatives should be commensurate with their needs and the demands of their profession. But they should never lose sight of the fact that being leaders they are supposed to set an example before the society and never do anything that might, in the end, leave them embarrassed.
The lawmakers of Odisha have been in news, of late, for gifting themselves a New Year bonanza by passing Bills to enhance their salaries and allowances triple-fold. But this sharply divided public opinion with many questioning the propriety of MLAs feathering their own nests in a state where nearly 16 per cent people still live below the poverty line. Stung by public opinion the lawmakers now seem ready to retrace their steps and have urged the chief minister to review the hike that will put an extra burden of Rs.43 crore on the state exchequer.
It was approved unanimously by MLAs cutting across party lines on the last day of the recently concluded winter session of the state assembly. The only dissenting voice came from CPI(M) MLA Laxman Munda who, however, was not present in the House when the four Bills enhancing the emoluments of the legislators with retrospective effect from June 2024 were passed.
Once the governor puts his stamp of approval on the Bills the monthly emoluments of MLAs would go up from Rs. 1.11 lakh to Rs.3.45 lakh, that of the chief minister from Rs.98,000 to Rs.3.74 lakh, of ministers from Rs.97,000 to Rs.3.58 lakh and the Speaker from Rs.97,500 to Rs.3.68 lakh. The deputy chief minister’s revised monthly salary would be Rs. 3.68 lakh while cabinet ministers and the leader of opposition would receive Rs.3.62 lakh. The pension of former MLAs has been revised to Rs 80,000 per month from the present Rs.30,000 and they would also be eligible for Rs. 12500 as travelling allowance and revised medical allowance of Rs.25000. The hike, thus, makes the MLAs of Odisha the highest paid lawmakers of the country, ahead of states like Telangana and Maharashtra.
Many argue that the hike is justified as the last increase in the emoluments of lawmakers was made in 2017 and there was an urgent need to revise it in view of price rise and the growing financial burden of public representatives, “A public representative needs money to help people financially in all kinds of situations, right from organisation of marriages to the performance of last rites. This step by the chief minister is certainly welcome,” said a leader who, though, is talking in terms of rationalising the increase.
The leaders of Biju Janata Dal, the main opposition party, not only supported the Bills inside the House but were equally vocal in praise of the step outside it. One of the party MLAs said, “There is no denying that people’s representatives need money to be able to help people in their constituencies. The enhancement of MLAs salaries was a genuine need that has been taken care of.”
However, lone CPI(M) MLA Laxman Munda, who was absent from the assembly when the salary enhancement bills were passed, continues to oppose it. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik grabbed the limelight by refusing to accept the hike in his emoluments and urging the government to spend it on welfare of the poor people of the state. In a letter to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik said, “I have been blessed by the love, affection and support of the people of Odisha for the past more than 25 years. I am highly indebted to the people of Odisha and their love towards me and my late father Biju Patnaik.”
Recalling his family’s decision in 2015 to donate their ancestral property ‘Anand Bhawan’ in Cuttack for public use, the former chief minister said, “In the same spirit, I would like to forgo the salary and allowances hiked for Leader of Opposition which the Odisha Legislative Assembly has recently passed. I would like to request you to utilise the same for the welfare of poor people of our state.”
It was after Patnaik made that gesture which was appreciated by people at large that the three major parties realized that popular sentiment was against the massive hike in their emoluments. A few days after that BJP leaders met at the state party office and submitted a letter to the chief minister urging him to review the hike in view of the growing clamour against it. A day later Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders also urged the chief minister to have a rethink on the issue. Their move was obviously inspired by their own undisputed leader Naveen Patnaik’s magnanimous gesture of offering to donate his hiked income for the cause of the people of the state.
Now it seems quite likely that the hike would either be rolled back completely or rationalized keeping in mind the realistic needs and demands of the legislators. The ball is now in the chief minister’s court and he being a practical and thoughtful leader is expected to take the right decision.
Sources said while the Bills hiking the salaries and allowances of legislators are lying with the governor the chief minister is seized of the matter. He is engaged in consultations and is also likely to seek the advice of BJP high command and, if possible, that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders of the party.
The chief minister is keenly aware that the hike, coming as it does with his government yet to complete two years in office, might draw criticism and even raise the hackles of a section of his own party leaders in Delhi. In fact there are reports that the sudden retreat by BJP legislators on the pay hike issue is a result of the negative feedback from Delhi. The party high command as well as senior leaders in the NDA government have conveyed their displeasure over Odisha lawmakers treating themselves to such a massive financial bonanza without taking the state’s economic condition into account. Hence, now there seems to be a distinct possibility of a rollback. The chief minister is expected to take a decision in this regard soon and also explore the mechanism to carry out the rollback or the rationalisation exercise smoothly.
