AAP MLAs seek pay hike from CM Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: AAP MLAs on Friday met chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to ask for a pay hike on the lines of MPs seeking a raise of 100% in their salaries. A delegation of 20-odd legislators met the CM in the morning and said that either their salaries are increased or they be provided with financial assistance for setting up offices in their constituencies. Kejriwal reportedly said he would look into the matter.

“Our monthly salary is Rs 53,500 of which Rs 12,000 is the basic. In addition to this, each MLA is given Rs 30,000 as reimbursement for two data entry operators. We are not entitled to fuel, phone, water, electricity or ration. This sum is difficult to manage with. Just renting office space costs Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000. We are left with nothing to meet personal expenses,“ said an MLA.

Salaries of MLAs were last raised in 2011, which was Rs 32,000 then.

Meanwhile, BJP slammed the move saying that AAP is only looking at ways to raise taxes and waste public funds. OP Sharma, MLA from Vishwas Nagar, said that AAP MLAs should realize that are here to serve the public.

Vijender Gupta, MLA from Rohini and leader of Opposition, said that the party had already wasted money on advertisements, 21 parliamentary secretaries, etc. “This is just a gimmick. The party has set them up to ask for this raise because they want to keep their MLAs happy ,“ he said.