Karnataka: Draft bill proposes hefty salary hike for legislators amid cash crunch

India Today

The Karnataka government has accepted a draft bill proposing significant salary increases for the Chief Minister, Ministers, MLAs, and opposition leaders.

Transcript

00:00More news coming in, the draft salary hike bill has been assessed by India today.

00:09It's a hefty hike for Chief Minister,

00:12Ministers, MLAs, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.

00:18A salary hike in spite of government cash runs.

00:21The plan is that the CM's salary will soon be doubled.

00:30We are just getting in more details on that story at this point in time, Sagai.

00:48This was expected though however questions undoubtedly will be raised

00:53because the state is severely cash crunched

00:57and the fact that they choose to double the salary of the CM

01:00and also give hefty hikes to MLAs, MLCs and Whips

01:04will in fact lead to complete draining of the exchequer, isn't it?

01:13Absolutely, on 3rd March India Today has reported that the BAC meeting

01:17with the CM along with the Speaker as well as the Chairman of Assembly and Council

01:23had discussed about the salary hike.

01:25Few MLAs have raised saying that they are unable to take care of their needs

01:30because of the kind of salary that they are getting

01:32and the salary was not hiked for more than 5 years now.

01:36And keeping all these things in the mind,

01:38the Karnataka CM has promised them that he will look into it.

01:41Now the draft is ready for Karnataka government

01:46where they will go ahead and increase the salaries of MLAs,

01:50Chief Ministers, Speakers as well as the Cabinet Ministers in the Karnataka government.

01:57And if you notice that all the MLAs are on the same page

02:01when it comes to this particular hike which has been proposed by the Karnataka government.

02:05Everybody backed it when we broke the story of Business Advisory Committee

02:09which has taken a decision unanimously to consider this

02:12and go ahead with the rise of the salary.

02:14And we just spoke to the Home Ministers as well saying that

02:17the requirements have increased and even the expenditures have increased

02:20for the MLAs because of the cost of living.

02:24And it is important for the government to consider this.

02:28And when we have questioned that when you don't have funds for guarantees

02:33which has been promised by the Karnataka government,

02:35how the government is going to get the money on the salaries which will be hiked.

02:39And the Home Minister has categorically mentioned that

02:41probably the Chief Minister will have a plan how to get the money and give the salaries.

02:46Talk to us about the figures and the numbers again.

02:49As far as these hikes are concerned,

02:51what's the kind of pressure it's going to be costing on the Exchequer?

02:59If you notice that the current salary is around 75,000 rupees for Chairman and Speaker.

03:05It will be around 1,25,000 rupees, around 50,000 rupees hike,

03:09close to 75% of hike when it comes to salary.

03:12And there are also allowances.

03:13Earlier when they used to get around 4 lakh rupees,

03:15now they will be getting around 5 lakh rupees and allowance 1 lakh will be increased,

03:19close to 10% of it.

03:21And if you see the house rent allowance, earlier it was 1,60,000 rupees.

03:26Now it will go up to 2 lakh rupees, 40,000 rupees will be increased.

03:30And there is also MRA, that is the reimbursement that they are going to get.

03:34And this is a salary breakup that I am reading out of the Speaker

03:38where he will be getting around 25,000 rupees.

03:41Earlier it was 20,000 rupees.

03:42And apart from that there is a Leader of Opposition, Government and Opposition Chief.

03:48And there is also facilities for MLAs and MLCs which will also be increased.

03:52The salary for MLAs which was around 40,000 rupees, now it will be around 80,000 rupees.

03:56And the pension has been also increased from 50,000 rupees to 75,000 rupees.

04:0025,000 is increased on pensions.

04:02And there is also travel allowance which was around earlier 1 lakh rupees,

04:06now it will be around 2 lakh rupees.

04:09Alright, so guys, continue to be with us.

04:11These are details that you have with us at this point in time

04:13about the kind of salary hike that we are looking at for WIPS, for MLAs as well.

04:17That is a draft bill that India today has accessed.

04:20The Minister's salary will be doubled.

04:22The Chief Minister's salary is going to be doubled as well.

04:33More news coming in.

04:34Another price hike in cash-strapped Karnataka.

04:37Power bills rise in Karnataka.

04:39Pricey power after water, metro, alcohol, beer.

04:42Power price raised by 39 paisa per unit.

04:45Hike to help Karnataka government pay pension and to pay gratuity.

04:49Karnataka power tariff hike from the 1st of April.

04:52Cash crunch is hitting pension and gratuity pay is what is visible before us.

04:59To see a series of reactions coming in, listen in.

05:05I urge, I demand Chief Minister Sridharamaiah,

05:10he should learn a lesson from Chief Minister Umar Abdullah.

05:15He has openly appreciated Central Government, Narendra Modi Government

05:20and Nirmala Sridharam for helping J&K to come out of the economic crisis.

05:26So what is the state of affairs in Telangana?

05:29His Chief Minister has admitted that their Telangana government

05:34does not have money to pay the salaries of the state government employees.

05:39So Karnataka situation is not too far.

05:42Economic situation, financial position of the Karnataka is going from bad to worse.

05:49But unfortunately Sridharamaiah is more busy attacking Narendra Modi Government

05:55rather than addressing the issues here in the Karnataka.

05:58Karnataka state government has increased the electricity prices also.

06:02The increase in the price, the reason they are giving is,

06:07the government is supposed to give their part of the finances for the pension

06:15and the gratuity for the people who are working in MESCOMS and KPTCL.

06:20The government has failed to produce that money.

06:23The government has told that we don't have that amount of money with us.

06:27So they have increased the price of the electricity.

06:30And indirectly people of Karnataka are suffering

06:34because the financial situation of the whole of the power department has gone down the drain.

06:40That time we have to give the pension and gratuity fund.

06:44That's why it was kept pending for a long time.

06:48Not in our government, it was there in the earlier government also.

06:52Because there was a high court stay there.

06:55The FKCC people, they went to the high court.

06:58They requested not to put on the consumers.

07:01But now the high court has ruled in favor of the escorts.

07:06They can charge whatever the dues for the pension and other things,

07:11they can charge from the consumers.

07:14And KERC has passed the order. It is not the government order.

07:17The KERC has passed the order.

07:22They are explaining why the increase.

07:24However the fact is that this is obviously a very unpopular decision.

07:29And it is clear that this will lead to further burden on the common man, isn't it?

07:39Absolutely. They are trying to get the money of the pension and the gratuity

07:43which should be paid for all the ESCOM employees

07:45through increasing the prices up to 36 paise per unit.

07:51The KJJ, the power minister from Karnataka has clarified that

07:55these are pending amount which is there from a long time,

07:58even during the BJP time.

08:00They have to collect it and they have not paid the pensions and everything.

08:03It will be a huge burden for the ESCOMs if they try to make it from their own pocket.

08:07Now the decision has also been justified by the power minister

08:12stating that this is an independent body, autonomous body

08:15which has taken a decision to increase the price.

08:17And subsequently they have gone ahead and increased the price up to 36 paise per unit.

08:23So the people have to shell out more money to pay the pension of the ESCOM employees

08:28around 36 paise per unit.

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