Hyderabad: During a meeting on Monday with senior officials at the Secretariat, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao felt a salary hike was needed.
The state has 120 MLAs and 40 MLCs. Of them, there are 36 members with Cabinet rank. Officials have estimated that if salaries are hiked to Rs 2 lakh per month, it will require Rs 2.5 crore per month more for the remaining 124 MLAs and MLCs, Rs 30 crore per year or Rs 150 crore in five years,
The government has sought to justify the hike stating that the additional burden amounts to just 0.14 per cent of the Budget that the lawmakers approve in the Legislature.
Mr Rao has decided to consider the proposal to double the salaries for ministers besides considering a pension hike for former MLAs and MLCs.
Mr Rao felt that allowances to MLAs were inadequate, and sought special allowance for them.
