Agartala, Jan 15, 2025, IANS

Agartala, Jan 15 (IANS): The salaries of Tripura Ministers and MLAs are set to increase by over 81 to 92 per cent and the legislators will get all retirement benefits, including pension. 

A Bill to this effect was cleared by the Tripura State Assembly on Wednesday, the last day of the winter session.

The Ninth Amendment Bill of Salaries, Allowances, Pensions and Other Benefits of the Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition (LoP), the government Chief Whip and the Members of the Assembly was passed without any opposition from any party.

According to the Bill, an MLA will get all retirement benefits if he or she has served as a member of the House even just for a day.

The Bill proposed to increase the salaries of the Chief Minister to Rs 97,000, the Deputy Chief Minister to Rs 96,000, Ministers, Speaker, LoP, and Chief Whip to Rs 95,000, the Deputy Speaker to Rs 94,000 and an MLA to Rs 93,000.

A senior official of the Tripura Assembly said that the salaries and pensions of the Ministers and MLAs were last increased in 2019. Before the passing of the Ninth Amendment Bill, as per the previous Act passed in 2019, the Chief Minister’s salary was Rs 53,630, the Deputy Chief Minister Rs 52,630, the Minister, Speaker, LoP and Chief Whip Rs 51,780, Deputy Speaker Rs 50,510 and MLA Rs 48,420.

“Compared to the previous Act as per the new law, the salaries of Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs and others would be increased by over 81 to 92 per cent,” the official told IANS.

Besides the salaries, the Chief Minister, Ministers, Assembly Speaker, LoP, Chief Whip, and MLAs are getting many other allowances, including sumptuary allowance, hospitality allowance, conveyance allowance, travelling allowance, dearness allowance, constituency allowance, postal allowance, telephone allowance and house rent allowance.

The pensions and family pensions of former MLAs have been proposed to increase to Rs 66,000 and Rs 48,000 from Rs 34,500 and Rs 25,000, respectively.

The Ninth Amendment Bill proposed to provide all retirement benefits, including pensions to all MLAs who have served even for just a day.

As per the last amendment in 2022, an MLA would get all retirement benefits, including a pension if he or she served as a member of the House for at least four-and-a-half years.

Law (Parliamentary Affairs) Minister Ratan Lala Nath in his statement of objects and reasons said upward modification of the salaries, allowances, pensions and other financial benefits of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, other Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, LoP, Chief Whip and MLAs was last done in 2019 by the Fifth Amendment Act, 2019. During this time, the price index has increased and it is inevitable to substantially enhance the pay structure of these functionaries, by further amendment of the Act," he said.

Nath while discussing the Ninth Amendment Bill, said that the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs of Telangana are getting the highest salaries and allowances in the country and their counterparts in Tripura are getting the lowest amount of salaries and allowances in India.

“The Ministers, MLAs and other elected functionaries often had to provide financial support to the needy people of their areas. Several family members of former MLAs and Ministers are in distress and economic conditions,” he said.

LoP Jitendra Chowdhury, who is also the CPI(M)’s Tripura state Secretary and former minister, said that with the Ninth Amendment Bill, the salaries of Ministers and MLAs would increase by around 100 per cent.

“The increase of salaries of Ministers and MLAs is necessitated but there must be parity and legitimacy in the hike,” he told the House.

The Winter Session of the Tripura Assembly began on January 10. State Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu gave his customary address to the House as it was the first session of the new year (2025).

The Governor in his address highlighted the performance and vision of the state government and mentioned the roadmap of the state government.