Bhubaneswar, Dec 15 (PTI) With a three-fold hike in the salary and allowances of Odisha MLAs sparking a political row and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik announcing that he will forego the increased perks, all eyes are now on Governor Hari Baba Kambhampati, whose approval is required for bills passed by the state assembly.
On the last day of the winter session on December 9, the Assembly passed four bills unanimously, even as a single member of the CPI(M) remained absent from the House.
The Left party opposed the increase in salaries and allowances of legislators.
Under the new provisions, the total monthly package of mutual legal assistance has increased to ₹3.45 crore from ₹1.11 million earlier.
The move drew sharp criticism on social media and from various organizations that accused the BJP government of favoring lawmakers over people, pointing out that the state’s annual per capita income is estimated at ₹1.83 million in 2024-25.
While the Chief Minister will get a monthly salary ₹3.74 lakh, his representatives are entitled ₹3.68 million.
Social media users highlighted the disparity in income between legislators and the people they represent, noting that an MLA’s annual income now stands at around ₹41.4 million.
“An MLA in Odisha now earns about 22 times more than an average citizen. In other words, they earn in just two weeks what an average Odia earns in a whole year,” said one widely shared post.
Amid the furor, BJD president Naveen Patnaik recently wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that he would give up his increased salary as an MLA.
However, the BJD supported the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2025 when it was passed in the House.
Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo termed Patnaik’s announcement as “politics” and a “stunt”.
“Why didn’t Patnaik attend the assembly session or voice opposition during the discussion on the bill. He is playing politics,” Singh Deo said.
Former minister and senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra also termed Patnaik’s announcement as a “drama”.
“As Leader of Opposition in the House, Patnaik had to give his party MLA’s consent to support the bill. Now he is renouncing the expanded package. This is not accepted,” Mishra said.
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Highlighting Patnaik’s wealthy background, Mishra claimed that his father Biju Patnaik took Re 1 as salary when he was the chief minister from 1990 to 1995.
He said, “Leader of Opposition Pramila Mallik openly supported the bill in the House. Other BJD MLAs also supported it. They could have opposed it but they didn’t.”
However, BJP MLA Babu Singh has announced that he will donate the increased amount of salary to the poor in his Bhubaneswar-Ekamra assembly segment.
However, BJD MLA and former minister Ganeswar Behera defended Patnaik, calling his decision an “idealistic and personal choice”.
At the same time, Behera justified the salary hike for MLAs by saying that the demand has been ongoing since 2018 and critics should understand the pressures faced by legislators who interact with the people on a daily basis.
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Congress MLA Pabitra Saunt also criticized Patnaik’s announcement, calling it “ambiguous” and a “political ploy”.
“Patnaik comes from a well-to-do family and may not need the increased salary. But it is a necessity for many of the 147 MLAs, most of whom come from humble backgrounds,” Saunta said.
Constitutional expert Manas Behera said the focus was now on the governor.
“All eyes are on the governor. Bills have been sent to him and he may or may not give assent. There are cases where governors return bills to the House. The decision is up to him,” he said, adding that while most bills receive assent, “it remains to be seen what happens in this case.”
“I am not sure whether the bill to increase the salaries of MLAs has already received the approval of His Excellency the Governor of Odisha. If not, and some citizens believe that He would ask His Excellency the Governor to withhold approval and suggest a reconsideration, I am willing to extend my support to such a move,” former IAS officer Prasanna Mishra told X.
The House on December 9 passed the Orissa Legislative Assembly Pay, Allowances and Pensions Bill, 2025, Orissa Legislative Assembly Speaker Salary and Allowances Bill, 2025, Orissa Legislative Assembly (Amendment) Orissa Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Salary and Allowances Bill25, Deputy Speaker Salary and Allowances of Orissa Legislature25 Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Disclaimer: This story was published from the agency’s news feed without editing the text. Only the title was changed.
