Panel recommends Rs 3 lakh monthly salary for MLAs
Srinagar, Oct 29: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said that the matter regarding enhancement of salaries, allowances, and other facilities of MLAs, ex-MLAs, and their PROs and PAs would be taken up at the level of the government after the Assembly considers and approves the recommendations submitted by a House Committee constituted for the purpose.
In a written reply to an unstarred question (No 117) tabled by MLA Javid Hasan Beig, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said that pursuant to a commitment made by the Chief Minister on the floor of the House, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, constituted a House Committee on March 24, 2025.
The panel was tasked with recommending the revision of salaries, allowances, and other facilities provided to the Members of the Legislative Assembly, and pensionary benefits for former legislators.
“After holding detailed deliberations on June 2 and June 27, 2025, the committee presented its final report to the Assembly on October 27, 2025. The government said that once the Assembly considers the report and its recommendations, the issue will be taken up accordingly for approval at the government level,” the reply said.
The committee, constituted by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, has recommended a substantial increase in the monthly remuneration and benefits of legislators, including doubling their overall monthly package from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
It proposed amendments to the salaries and allowances of Members of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Act, 1960, to revise the basic salary of legislators from Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 per month.
In addition, the panel suggested a Constituency Conveyance Allowance of Rs 1.10 lakh, telephone allowance of Rs 30,000, medical allowance of Rs 20,000, sumptuary allowance of Rs 30,000, and secretariat assistance allowance of Rs 30,000, raising the total monthly entitlement to Rs 3 lakh.
The panel also recommended amendments to the housing loan and motor car rules, proposing an increase in the housing loan limit from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 75 lakh and the car advance from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
It suggested that the Personal Assistants of MLAs should receive Rs 25,000 per month instead of the present Rs 12,000.
On pensionary benefits, the committee proposed a fixed pension and allowances of Rs 1.10 lakh per month for former legislators.
It also recommended that the salaries of the Chief Minister, Speaker, Ministers, and the Leader of Opposition be revised proportionately through necessary amendments in the relevant acts and rules.
The committee also proposed that all these revisions should have a retrospective effect from November 1, 2024, the date from which the current members began drawing their salaries and allowances.
“The role of a legislator is a full-time responsibility, and at present, they find it difficult to meet growing expenses associated with their public duties. Therefore, a revision of salaries and allowances of legislators has become necessary,” the committee noted in its report. “A detailed study of salary structures in other states and Union Territories was conducted before making the recommendations.”
