Historic Salary Hike for Tripura Ministers, MLAs!
Jayanta Debnath
January 17, 2025
On January 15, 2025, during the last day of Tripura's Winter Assembly session, an unprecedented salary and allowance hike was approved for ministers and MLAs. This historic decision, passed unanimously, marked the highest-ever single increase in their remuneration. Interestingly, even the opposition CPIM did not oppose the move, with Leader of Opposition Jitendra Choudhury mildly emphasizing the need for more employment opportunities for unemployed youths. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman raised allegations of misuse of medical reimbursement scheme of State assembly by some legislators. But overall allmost all the ministers and MLAs evoked smiles and happy with the same.
The revised salaries for the key positions are as follows:
1. Chief Minister salary: ₹97,000 (up from ₹53,630, a hike of ₹43,370 or 80.87%).
2. Deputy Chief Minister: ₹96,000 (up from ₹52,630, a hike of ₹43,370 or 82.41%).
3. Ministers, Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Chief Whip: ₹95,000 (up from ₹51,780, a hike of ₹43,220 or 83.4%).
4. MLAs: ₹93,000 (up from ₹48,420, a hike of ₹44,580 or 92.07%).
Additional allowances include entertainment allowances for the Chief Minister (₹13,000) and others (₹12,000). Travel allowances have increased from ₹24 to ₹35 per kilometer. Daily allowances are now ₹1,100 within Tripura and ₹1,500 for trips outside the state.In pension-related matters, former MLAs will now receive ₹66,000 (up from ₹34,500, a hike of ₹31,500 or 91.30%), while family pensions have increased to ₹48,000 (from ₹25,000, a hike of ₹23,000 or 92%).
Comparison with Other States:
Despite this significant revision, Tripura's Minister's and MLAs salaries and allowances remain lower compared to several other Indian states. For instance, legislators in Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra earn significantly almost dubble, with allowances and perks often exceeding those in Tripura.
Public Concerns and Criticism:
However, the decision has drawn criticism from various quarters. Many point out that while legislators have received substantial hikes, similar benefits are not extended to other sectors. Key grievances include:
Unfulfilled Promises:
1. The BJP’s 2018 election promise to raise MGNREGA wages to ₹350 remains unmet.
2. Commitments to regularize irregular government employees and provide proper pay scales to teachers under schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are still pending.
3. Pending DA for Employees and Pensioners: Over 25% of dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for government employees and pensioners remains unpaid.
4. Lack of Employment Opportunities: The state government has not prioritized job creation of 50000 as promised before the 2018 assembly election or regularized outsourcing employees who often earn below minimum wages.Unemployed youth and labor unions argue that legislators have shown far more enthusiasm in securing their financial benefits than in addressing employment and wage concerns. They criticize the government for its lack of commitment to fulfilling promises and creating sustainable livelihoods.
While the salary hike for MLAs in Tripura may signify progress in aligning the state with national standards, it also highlights the stark disparity between political privileges and the struggles of ordinary citizens. The question remains: Will the government now shift its focus to fulfilling its promises to the ordinary people and unemployed youths?
(Tripurainfo)