On Tuesday, the Odisha Assembly raised its members’ monthly salaries by more than three times, from Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 3.45 lakh, which is among the highest in the nation. The additional wage would be effective from June 2024, when the 17th Assembly was created, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling after the House overwhelmingly approved four laws implementing the hike.

The remuneration of the chief minister, ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, the leader of the opposition and the pension of ex-MLAs were also boosted by about three times. Along with provisions to raise pay, allowances, and pensions every five years, the proposals also contain a clause providing Rs 25 lakh in help to the family of any serving MLA in the case of their death.

According to the minister, one of the enacted measures permits such rises by ordinance without the need for a new bill. An average lawmaker in the Odisha Assembly now earns a monthly package consisting of pay, allowances, and other financial incentives totaling around Rs 1.11 lakh.

The bundle will now cost Rs 3,45,000. Members have been calling for a rise of almost 3.10 times the MLA salary since 2007. Each member expressed gratitude to the chief minister for approving the four legislation that improved MLAs’ and former MLAs’ pay and benefits.

According to the Bill’s provisions, an MLA will receive Rs 90,000 in salary, Rs 75,000 in constituency/secretarial allowance, Rs 50,000 in conveyance allowance, Rs 10,000 for books, journals, and periodicals, Rs 20,000 for electricity, Rs 50,000 for fixed travel allowance, Rs 35,000 for medical allowance, and Rs 15,000 for telephone allowance.

In a similar vein, an ex-MLA would get a pension of Rs 1.17 lakh, which consists of Rs 80,000 in pension, Rs 25,000 in medical benefits, and Rs 12,500 in travel expenses. According to the new rule, an MLA would get an extra Rs 3,000 for each term. While the Assembly Speaker and Deputy Chief Minister are entitled to Rs 3,68,000 and the Deputy Speaker and Minister of State to Rs 3,56,000 apiece, the chief minister would earn Rs 3,74,000 per month under the enacted measures.

apiece month, the opposition leader and cabinet ministers will get Rs 3,62,000 apiece. The monthly salary for the government chief whip and his or her deputy is Rs 3,62,000 and Rs 3,50,000, respectively. The four bills—the Odisha Legislative Assembly Members’ Salary, Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Deputy Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Ministers’ Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025—were supported by members from all political parties.

In order to match pay with contemporary duties and economic realities, the MLAs unanimously declared that the modification was urgently needed. “The hike in pension will particularly help the former MLAs who have been old and sick,” said Opposition top whip and former Speaker Pramila Mallik.