Facilities and entitlements of MLA’s will be reduced-CM

Mizoram government will save at least Rs. 12.86 crore in 5 years by reducing the facilities and entitlements of ministers, speaker, deputy speaker and members of the state legislative assembly by passing 4 amendment bills on Wednesday, state Chief Minister Lalduhoma said. The state legislature on the last day of the budget session unanimously passed the Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Amendment) Bill, 2024; The Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of Minister (Amendment) Bill, 2024; The Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of Government Chief Whip & theDeputy Government Chief Whip (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Mizoram Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of theLegislative Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The four amendment bills were introduced in the assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vanlalthlana.

The amendment bills seek to reduce the entitlements of household attendants of Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker from 6 to 4, ministers and ministers of state, deputy speaker as well as deputy government chief whip from 4 to 3. Members of the assembly will be entitled to have 2 household attendance which was not amended. One of the striking points in the amendment bills included doing away with providing funds for purchase of vehicles for all the 40 legislators in every term. As per the amendments, members of the legislature including ministers, speaker and deputy speaker will be able to avail vehicle loan not exceeding Rs 15 lakh, in a term, at an interest rate of 5.5 per cent per annum.

Each member of the legislature will be provided a driver with a salary of Rs 30,000 per month (fixed). Lalduhoma expressed the hope that as the ministers, speakers and members of the legislature are reducing their facilities and entitlements, the government officials will also follow suit as austerity measures and reduce the establishment costs of the state government to improve the economy of the state. EOM