In a Diwali gift, the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs and former legislators in Himachal Pradesh will now get higher salaries, allowances and pensions. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has approved three Bills related to this, which were passed by the Vidhan Sabha on March 28 this year.
The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2025, was passed during the monsoon session. With the Governor’s assent, the changes have now been notified in the Rajpatra. The last hike in salaries and allowances for the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs was in May 2016.
The previous BJP government had also introduced a similar Bill to increase pay and allowances, but it was withdrawn due to objections raised during the Covid pandemic. Now, with the Governor’s approval, three Acts—the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Act, 2025; the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s Salaries (Amendment) Act, 2025; and the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Himachal Pradesh) Amendment Act, 2025—have come into effect.
A key feature of the new amendment is that it allows an automatic increase in the salaries and allowances of MLAs every five years, linked to the cost inflation index under the Income Tax Act, 1961. This will remove the need to bring new amendments each time salaries are revised for the Chief Minister, ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MLAs.
As per the new structure, the Chief Minister’s salary will go up from Rs 95,000 to Rs 1.15 lakh per month, the Speaker’s from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000, and the Deputy Speaker’s from Rs 75,000 to Rs 92,000. Cabinet ministers’ pay will increase from Rs 80,000 to Rs 95,000, state ministers’ from Rs 78,000 to Rs 93,000, Deputy Ministers’ from Rs 75,000 to Rs 80,000, and MLAs’ from Rs 55,000 to Rs 70,000. Former MLAs will now get Rs 50,000 per month, up from Rs 36,000. Sumptuary allowances for all categories have also been raised.
MLAs will gain significantly from the revised allowances. Their daily allowance will rise to Rs 2,500, the constituency allowance to Rs 1.20 lakh, and the office allowance to Rs 90,000.
The Act also provides a former Chief Minister with Type-VI government accommodation. It further ensures that the Leader of the Opposition will receive the same salary, allowances, and benefits as a Cabinet minister.
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