Speaker Surama Padhy forms committee on salary & pension hike for MLAs

BHUBANESWAR: Speaker Surama Padhy on Tuesday formed an advisory committee to be headed by BJP member Bhaskar Madhei to study the demand of the MLAs to increase their salary and pension and submit recommendations.

The demand was raised by members cutting across partylines in the Assembly during zero hour on Tuesday. The MLAs also demanded increase in the MLA local area fund from present Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore.

Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick Pramila Mallik said a committee by previous government had recommended increase in salary and pension of MLAs.

She said the Speaker can appoint a committee to review the recommendations. Supporting her, deputy Opposition chief whip Pratap Deb, CLP leader Ramachandra Kadam, Bhaskar Madhei and Sanatan Bijuli (both BJP) also said the demand was justified. The Speaker agreed that the demands of the lawmakers were genuine and directed the Parliamentary Affairs minister to present the matter to the government.