Bhubaneswar: Only one MLA in Odisha has expressed reservations against the massive salary revision for the lawmakers, tripling their monthly earnings. He is CPM MLA from Bonai Laxman Munda.
When the four separate bills, which included increasing the monthly emoluments of MLAs from Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh, were passed on December 9 without a single dissenting voice, Munda was with primary school teachers, staging a protest in front of the state Assembly over fulfilment of their demands including pay hike.
The four-time MLA is opposing the hike in their monthly salary and allowances, which has vaulted the legislators to the highest-paid ranks nationally, as the state lags several others in terms of minimum wages for workers.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, CPM State General Secretary Suresh Chandra Panigrahi alleged that the MLAs, who call themselves public servants, took the decision to triple their own allowances, abruptly suspended the Assembly session and fled while lakhs of workers in Odisha are deprived of minimum wages.
“Thousands of ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, cook-cum-helpers, Sikhya Sahayaks, teachers and other employees are sitting in protest on Gandhi Marg road, braving the biting chill, demanding their legitimate rights and dues. At the mandis, farmers are sitting in the freezing cold waiting to sell their paddy, but the government is yet to start the procurement process,” he claimed, while demanding immediate withdrawal of the hike in allowances for the MLAs.
Panigrahi stated that the allowances of people’s representatives should be increased only at the same rate at which dearness allowance of employees is increased as per the prevailing Consumer Price Index. “Instead farmers should be given remunerative prices for their agricultural produce and workers be ensured of a minimum monthly wage of Rs 26,000,” he added.
The push for salary revision, citing rising cost of living, came from across party lines in March this year, days after the Centre approved a salary hike for MPs. Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik raised the issue during zero hour in the Assembly, calling for a 2.5-times hike due to soaring medical costs and inflation. She further mentioned the remuneration of Odisha MLAs was among the lowest in the country, which was echoed by Congress and BJP members, who also expressed concerns over the financial burden of meeting constituency demands.
The member also reminded Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that he had himself supported the salary hike in July 2022 as opposition whip, arguing that no revisions since 2017 had left legislators struggling with escalating living costs.
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