Karnataka MLA opposes netas’ salary hike

Khanapur Congress legislator Dr Anjali Nimbalkar on Wednesday opposed the government’s move to hike salaries of lawmakers and other members of the legislature.

“We don’t want this. Pay the Covid bills of common man first, give them shelters. Give better infrastructure, jobs,transport, better life for a person to survive in this pandemic,” Anjali said in a tweet.

She is the only lawmaker to have publicly opposed the salary hike a day after the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council passed two Bills to this effect.

The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill proposes a 60% hike in monthly salaries to all lawmakers (MLAs and MLCs) from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000.

The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill hikes the salary of the chief minister from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 whereas ministers will get Rs 60,000 against the existing Rs 40,000.

All other allowances have been hiked as well.

Both Bills were passed without any discussion.

“Amidst the din of protest by Congress MLAs, the House passed this Bill,” Anjali said. “Why is the BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai so hostile and indifferent to the needs of the common man? Was this Bill even necessary during Covid times? People are suffering. Take care of them first,” she said.

The government cited “considerable increase in the cost of living” as the reason for the hikes. Salaries were last revised in 2015. Also, the government has introduced a clause to automatically revise salaries once every five years based on the cost of living indices.

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