Now, BJD seeks reconsideration of salary hike in Odisha

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to reconsider the three-fold increase in salaries of legislators, Biju Janata Dal legislators on Friday, December 19, 2025, followed suit by calling for a review of the proposal.

Multiple bills proposing a steep increase in the salaries of the CM, deputy CM, ministers, Leader of Opposition, Speaker and MLAs were passed in the winter session of the Assembly, which ended earlier this month. The bill has not yet become law until it has been submitted to the Governor for approval.

“BJD President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik told the CM that he would not accept the increased salary and demanded that the amount be spent on welfare measures for the poor. Respecting public sentiment and as per the instructions of the party leadership, BJD MLAs appealed to the CM to reconsider the salary hike decision,” he said at a press conference. BJD chief deputy Pramila Mallick and BJD vice-president Pratap Deb.

“The bill to increase the salaries of MLAs and the pensions of former MLAs was passed unanimously on December 9. However, the increase in salaries has created great public outrage,” said Ms. Mallick.

When the bill proposing to triple the salaries of MPs was tabled in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, only CPI(M) MLA Laxman Munda opposed the move. Otherwise, the bills passed almost unanimously.

If the bills had received Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati’s approval and come into effect, the Prime Minister would have drawn ₹ 3,74,000 per month, while his aides would have received a package of ₹ 3,68,000. Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers would earn ₹3,62,000 and ₹3,56,000 respectively.

As per the revised salary structure, an MLA would get a consolidated package of ₹3,45,000 per month as against ₹1.10 lakh per month in 2017. The pension of former MLAs would go up to ₹1.20 lakh, an increase of more than three times compared to their current pension.

This marks a rare example of lawmakers being forced to rethink a wage increase in the face of widespread public opposition.