Chief minister Nitish Kumar on his way to attend the last day of the budget session in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, March 30: Legislators of Bihar were today given a pre-match gift with chief minister Nitish Kumar announcing an increase in their salary and allowances from next month.

“Apart from expressing my best wishes for a victory to the Indian team in the World Cup, I have happy news for legislators. The salary and perks of legislators are being revised and it will be effective from April this year,” Nitish said to loud applause from members.

The chief minister made the announcement just before Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary adjourned the House sine die.

The MLAs did not have a clue how much the hike would be. “There should be another zero added to the existing basic salary of MLAs,” joked JD (U) member Izhar Ahmad, even as an RJD legislator asked him if he knew how much the hike would be.

JD (U) sources said the hike will be more than double of what the MLAs currently earn (see chart). If the proposals are accepted, the government will have to shell out about Rs 34 crore towards salaries and allowances of legislators and ex-legislators. Bihar has 243 MLAs and 75 MLCs.

The raise though may not meet the expectation of some MLAs who are demanding a total package of Rs 1 lakh per month. Recently, the government had withdrawn the MLAs development fund which was Rs 1 crore per year. A public perception had been built that legislators earned kickback money from this fund by giving contracts to their own persons. However, while withdrawing the funds, the government had hinted that the salary and perks of the MLAs would be revised.

The BJP’s Vikram Kuer said he expected the salary to touch Rs 1 lakh per month for MLAs. “Our salary hike should be so much that legislators would not have to make money through illegal ways to meet their expenses. As public representatives we have to interact with our voters and a lot of them come to Patna. We have to offer at least tea to them. An IAS or IPS officer does not have to do that,” remarked senior JD (U) MLA Srawan Kumar.

First time MLA Satish Kushwha pointed out that he wanted the salary to be Rs 1 lakh per month. “It should be enough to meet my own expenses and also of my voters. Many of them come to me for financial help,” he said.

Lady MLAs were excited about the proposed hike. “The salary should be at least Rs 1.25 lakh per month. I have to spend Rs 50,000 per month on my travel to meet my voters,” said Ranju Gita, pointing out that the expenses incurred by legislators were considerable and the present salary and perks were “chicken feed”. “MLAs should be given enough that they can do their work honestly,” she asserted.

“It is not just about food and perks, it’s about giving dignity to representatives of the people. According to me, the salary of legislators should be what is given to commissioner-rank officials. When MLAs go and meet DMs, there is a feeling among officials that the vidhayakji earns much less than him,” remarked BJP MLA Arun Kumar Sinha.

Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav pointed out that Bihar legislators were getting far less than their counter parts in other states and the hike was long overdue.