Rajasthan Govt Increases Salaries & Allowances For All MLAs & Ministers, Know About It

On Wednesday, 26 April, the Rajasthan government unanimously passed (by a voice vote) a Bill to increase the salary and allowances of the chief minister, ministers, legislators, and former lawmakers.

The Bill in question was the Rajasthan Minister’s Salaries (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017. It is the first ministerial increase in salary since 2012 and is estimated to incur an expenditure of about Rs 1.55 crore per annum.

The Bill inserted two sections and the words “other facilities” into the 1956 Rajasthan Ministers’ Salaries Act (2012 version can be read here):

1. The new section 7-BB is for facilities offered to former chief ministers who had served an uninterrupted five-year term;
2. Section 11 makes the exception for existing former Chief Ministers.

“Looking to the present level of prices, the existing salary and sumptuary allowance payable appears to be inadequate. Under these circumstances, it has been considered expedite to increase the salary and sumptuary allowance …” CM Vasundhara Raj stated.

The entire 2017 Bill can be read here.

Salaries for ministers have been increased

• The monthly salary for the Chief Minister has been increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 55,000;
• The same for a Cabinet Minister has increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000;
• An MLA’s salary has gone up from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000;
• For a Parliamentary Secretary, it has gone up from Rs 27,000 to Rs 40,000;
• For a Chief Whip, it has gone up from Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000;
• For a Deputy Chief Whip, it has gone up from Rs 27,000 to Rs 42,000.

As usual, MLAs are also eligible for several allowances besides their salary.

• This includes rail travel benefit allowance, which has been increased to Rs 2 lakh;
• Secretariat allowance increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000;
• Daily allowance has been increased from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 in the state and from Rs 1250 to Rs 1750 outside the state.

According to Hindustan Times, other benefits that have surged include:

• travel allowance Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh (annually);
• sumptuary allowance Rs 45,000 from Rs 30,000; and
• vehicle allowance Rs 30,000 from Rs 20,000.

Besides this, former CMs of Rajasthan who served for an uninterrupted period of five years will now be entitled to a government bungalow, car, and other facilities for life.