Bangalore, February 22: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed bills improving the salaries and allowances of the chief minister, ministers and legislators.

Facing disruption for the fifth day in a row, due to protests by Congress MPs demanding the dismissal of Minister KS Eshwarappa over his declaration on the national flag, the session was cut short, but not before passing two bills of law without discussion.

The session that started on February 14 was actually supposed to end on February 25. It has now been adjourned until March 4, for the budget session.

Congressional lawmakers staged “day and night” protests, in which they spent the night inside the assembly, and staged protests from the House well during the day, disrupting proceedings , which Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called “irresponsible”. “.

Amid the din, the House passed the two bills – Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Karnataka Ministers Salaries, Pensions and Allowances Bill. Karnataka Legislature (Amendment), 2022, and passed the motion of thanks to the governor’s speech, without any discussion.

The bills were proposed by the government citing that they have been pending for a long time and a huge increase in the cost of living as reasons. The hikes will result in an additional recurring expense of around Rs 92.4 crore per annum.

The Ministers’ Salaries and Allowances Bill proposes to increase the Chief Minister’s salary from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month, the Ministers’ salary from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000, and the sumptuary allowance for both will increase from Rs three lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh per year.

It also proposes to increase the housing allowance for ministers from Rs 80,000 per month to Rs 1.20 lakh, while the allowance for upkeep and upkeep of the residence and fitting out and upkeep gardens has been increased from Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 30,000. In addition, their gasoline expenses to be paid by the government have been increased from one thousand to two thousand liters.

The tour allowance for ministers per day has been increased to Rs 2,500 per day.

Meanwhile, the Legislative Assembly Salaries, Pensions and Allowances Bill proposes to increase the monthly salary of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Speaker of the Legislative Council from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 , while the monthly salary of opposition leaders was increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000.

He also proposes to increase the salary of MLA and MLC from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

The lavish allowance for the President and Chairman of the Board will increase from Rs three lakh to Rs four lakh per year.

All MPs and MLCs will receive Rs 60,000 per month as constituency travel allowance, and they will also receive a pension of Rs 50,000 per month.

The bill also proposes the salary and allowances of the chief government and opposition whips.

In submitting the Bill for the consideration of the House, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, JC Madhuswamy, said that “from 2015, the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, Ministers, president, vice president, president, vice president have not been revised, diesel and gasoline prices have increased exponentially, medical allowance is low and house rent has increased Considering all this, we have decided to increase half of the existing amount in all these scales.

He said: “Similarly, legislators’ salary, allowances and TA/DAs have also not increased since 2015, with that in mind, we have introduced the bill for the We have also introduced a provision in the bill to increase salary and allowances once every five years based on the cost of the index as in the central government bill, so we don’t need to introduce a bill to increase.

As the House gathered for the day, members of Congress gathered in the shaft of the House and began shouting slogans demanding action against Eshwarappa, the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

Slogans like – “Down, down BJP”, “Suspend Eshwarappa”, “Eshwarappa desha drohi (traitor)”, “Down Down the BJP desha drohi government”, “The president is doing justice”, “This government is the puppet of the RSS “, “We want the constitution, not Manuvada” – among other things tainted the procedure.

Recently, Eshwarappa had claimed that ‘Bhagwa dhwaj’ (saffron flag) might become the national flag in the future and then it could be hoisted on the Red Fort.

He had, however, declared that the tricolor was now the national flag and that it should be respected by all.

After taking question time amid protests, President Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri allowed the two bills to be tabled and passed, then asked the CM to make the government’s response on the vote of thanks to the President. governor’s address, amid the slogans of congressional deputies.

Bommai striking at the Congress, said: “It is painful, for the first time in the history of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly without discussion on the governor’s speech, we are passing the vote of thanks. It shows that the opposition failed to discharge its responsibilities and behaved irresponsibly.They are a black mark in the history of our legislature.

“Their conduct shows that they are not fit to be in opposition as well. They are doing it for political reasons and it is against the interest of the people. We will go to the people and tell them about the ‘conduct’ of the opposition Congress, he said.

Noting that there is a tense situation in the state and on the campuses of educational institutes, Bommai said, “The government is committed to implementing the High Court Interim Order (on hijab and the question of the uniform).

In such a situation, the opposition should join hands and send a message of unity. A youth was killed in Shivamogga, in such a situation, how should the opposition behave… what is your (Congress’s) contribution to peacekeeping?”

The Chief Minister also listed the achievements of the government in handling the COVID and flood situation.

He highlighted achievements in the field of welfare at work, health, investment flows, infrastructure in urban areas including Bengaluru, irrigation, SC/ST welfare, among others.

Despite his repeated request and attempts to put the house in order, as members of Congress continued to protest shouting slogans, Speaker Kageri adjourned the House until March 4.

“All my attempts – by asking and calling meetings of leaders, to end the impasse have failed. The five day session was wasted, another three days will also be wasted like this,” he said. expressing his disappointment.