Nellore (Rural) MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy stoutly opposed the proposed salary hike for the MLAs and MLCs of Andhra Pradesh. A bill had been introduced by legislative affairs minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Wednesday, the last day of the session, to give an increase in the salaries of state legislators. The bill intends to hike the salaries from the present Rs 95,000 per month to Rs. 1.25 lakh with a car loan of Rs 25 lakh.
Sridhar Reddy said people would not take kindly to the hike. Reddy dared the government to take public opinion before piloting the bill. ” There are 175 constituencies in state. Take any constituency of your choice and conduct a survey. If people endorsed the salary hike, I would resign from the Assembly and would never contest the election in future,” he challenged.
Participating in the debate on the bill, Sridhar Reddy, an MLA from YSR Congress, urged chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the government to revoke the bill. The first-time MLA said if the dismal financial picture painted by the chief minister was true, it would be unfair for the MLAs to get the salaries hiked.
” On one side the chief minister asks the farmer to sacrifice for the state. He asks the government employees to make sacrifices for the development of the state. We have a huge revenue deficit. Then how would the government defend the salary hike for the legislators,” he asked. He stated that the passage of the bill was nothing but the abuse of the authority given by the people. ” We were all elected as legislators. The legislative powers are vested with us. Since we have powers to make laws, it is unfair to use them for our betterment,” he said and urged the government to withdraw the bill.
His party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy could not oppose the bill as it was endorsed by his party also in the committee. He, however, requested the government to see if the hike could be moderated.
The bill also seeks to the increase the pension of the ex MLAs from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. Responding to the suggestions that the recommendation had already been moderated. The committee recommended a salary of Rs 1.50 and with a car loan of Rs 40lakh. Speaker Kodela said the bill was the result of the unanimous recommendation of the Committee on Amenities in which YSR C members were also present. The will was passed with voice vote.
