Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced that he would forgo the recently increased salary and allowances attached to the LoP’s post, asking that the amount instead be used for the welfare of the poor.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the former Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the people of Odisha for the support he has received over more than two-and-a-half decades in public life. The former CM said that he remained deeply indebted to the people of the state for their affection and trust, which, he noted, had also been extended to his late father and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
“I have been blessed by the love, affection and support of the people of Odisha for more than 25 years. I am highly indebted to them and to their love for me and my late father,” he wrote in the letter. Referring to an earlier decision taken by his family in 2015 to donate their ancestral property, Anand Bhawan in Cuttack, for public use, Patnaik said his latest move was guided by the same spirit of public service.
He stated that he would not accept the enhanced salary and allowances recently approved for the Leader of the Opposition’s post by the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Patnaik requested the Chief Minister to ensure that the amount he relinquishes is utilised for programmes aimed at improving the lives of the state’s poor and underprivileged.
The Odisha Assembly recently cleared a substantial hike in salaries and allowances for MLAs, ministers and constitutional post-holders, raising the monthly emoluments of the Leader of Opposition to around Rs 3.62 lakh. The decision has triggered a political debate, with Patnaik’s move coming amid criticism over the threefold increase in legislators’ pay.
Under the legislation, the monthly basic salary of an MLA has been raised from Rs 35,000 to Rs 90,000. In addition, members will receive a sumptuary allowance of Rs 98,000 per month, compared to Rs 40,000 previously. Specifically, the Chief Minister’s monthly remuneration will amount to Rs 3.74 lakh, comprising a basic salary of Rs 1 lakh, a sumptuary allowance of Rs 1.83 lakh, and Rs 91,000 for car allowances. Salaries for other office-bearers range between Rs 3.50 lakh and Rs 3.68 lakh per month, depending on the position.