Karnataka leaders' salaries increased, costing ₹62 crore

Karnataka's political leaders will receive a significant salary increase due to the passage of two new bills. This change will cost the state's budget an extra ₹62 crore each year. The bills, known as the Karnataka Legislatures Salaries, Pensions, and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, were approved during the recent session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Along with salary hikes, these bills also boost various allowances like house rent and travel expenses for both legislators and ministers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will see his monthly salary rise from ₹75,000 to ₹1,50,000. This doubling of his pay is in response to inflation and rising living costs. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will also benefit significantly, as his salary will jump from ₹60,000 to ₹1,25,000 per month, which is an increase of more than 100%. Additionally, ministers will receive enhanced allowances. Their House Rent Allowance (HRA) will increase to ₹2.5 lakh annually, along with a ₹50,000 boost to their sumptuary allowance, now totaling ₹5 lakh per year. Other legislative leaders will also see salary hikes. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council will earn ₹1.25 lakh monthly, up from ₹75,000. The Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairman's salaries will increase to ₹80,000. The Leader of the Opposition will see a raise to ₹80,000 from ₹60,000, while the Government Chief Whip and Opposition Chief Whip will earn ₹70,000, up from ₹50,000. The government justified these pay increases by citing the rising cost of living. They noted that salaries for key political roles had not been updated in many years, making this increase necessary. An earlier amendment assures salary reviews every five years to keep pace with inflation.