A Division Bench of Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M.S.Raman on Tuesday dismissed a writ petition questioning the constitutional propriety of the Odisha Assembly passing the bill that will pave the way for almost a two-fold hike in the monthly salary of the Chief Minister, Ministers, and MLAs, and a threefold hike in pension of former legislators.
The Division Bench refused to intervene in the legislative action, stating that the Odisha Legislative Assembly Members’ Salary, Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is presently pending assent of the Governor under Article 200 of the Constitution.
The Amendment Bill proposes a substantial and composite enhancement of salaries, allowances, perks and post-tenure/pensionary benefits of sitting Members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, resulting in a multi-fold increase and creating a recurring charge on the Consolidated Fund of the State.
As per legislation awaiting the Governor’s assent, an MLA in Odisha will draw Rs 3.45 lakh per month against the Rs 1.10 lakh in 2007. Basic pay has been hiked from Rs 35,000 to Rs 90,000, constituency and secretarial allowance from Rs 20,000 to Rs 75,000, conveyance allowance from Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000, fixed allowance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000, books, journals, and periodicals allowance from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, electricity allowance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000, and telephone allowance from ₹8,000 to Rs 15,000. Former MLAs will receive a monthly pension of over Rs 1.20 lakh.
Incidentally, the legislation recently passed by the Assembly catapults the State’s pay and pension structure for elected representatives among the highest in the country.
In the meantime, after gauging adverse public reaction over the lawmakers’ pay and perk hike, BJP MLAs taking a U-turn have urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to review the recent salary hike.