Bhubaneswar: The state govt on Thursday initiated the process to withdraw four Bills passed in Dec that had proposed a three-fold hike in MLAs’ salaries and triggered sharp criticism.Assembly secretary Satyabrata Rout informed MLAs that parliamentary affairs minister Mukesh Mahaling has formally moved a notice seeking withdrawal of the Bills — The Odisha Legislative Assembly Members’ Salary, Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Odisha Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker’s Salary and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and The Odisha Ministers’ Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025.The Bills were passed in the assembly in just a few minutes without any discussion on Dec 9, drawing immediate public outrage. Following the backlash, BJP MLAs first met CM Mohan Charan Majhi demanding a rollback of the steep hike, calling it ‘inopportune’ at a time of financial stress for ordinary citizens. BJD MLAs soon followed, publicly urging the chief minister to reconsider the decision amid growing criticism from various quarters.Following the development, the govt didn’t send the Bills for governor Hari Babu Kambhampati’s assent. If implemented, Odisha MLAs would have become the highest-paid in the country with a proposed monthly remuneration of Rs 3.45 lakh, up from Rs 1 lakh.
