Karnataka Assembly doubles salaries for ministers and MLAs

The Karnataka Assembly has approved a new bill that doubles the salaries of ministers and lawmakers. This decision comes amid controversy related to a police investigation known as the honey trap case. On Friday, the Assembly passed the "Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025." The bill proposes major salary increases for MLAs, MLCs, ministers, and Assembly staff. Critics have raised concerns about the move, especially since the government has been discussing financial shortages. Under the new bill, the Chief Minister's salary will rise from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh, a 100 percent increase. Ministers will see their salaries go up to Rs 1.25 lakh, a rise of 108 percent. Regular legislators will receive Rs 80,000 instead of Rs 40,000, doubling their pay. In addition to salaries, rental allowances for ministers will also double from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council will have their salaries increased to Rs 1.25 lakh and their allowances will go from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The bill has already received approval from Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. The government aims to implement these changes during the budget session, which was the final day for such proposals. This increase is expected to cost the government an extra Rs 62 crore. The last salary revision for legislators was in 2022, and the BJP government had planned to adjust salaries every five years. Additionally, the pension for legislators will increase from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000, and travel allowances will rise to Rs 3.50 lakh, up from Rs 2.50 lakh.