CPI(M) Opposes Odisha MLAs Salary Hike Bill, Submits Memorandum to Governor
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has strongly opposed the Odisha Jan Pratinidhi (Amendment) Bill 2025, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly on December 9.
The Bill proposes significant hikes in salaries, allowances, and pensions for legislators, including revisions for the Speaker and Ministers.
A CPI(M) delegation led by state secretary Suresh Chandra Panigrahy, senior leader Bishnu Mohanty, and members Dushmanta Kumar Das, Pushpa Das, and Badri Narayan Dash submitted a memorandum to the Governor urging rejection of the Bill.
The party argued that the move is unjust and anti‑people at a time when Odisha faces unemployment, agrarian distress, rising prices, debt burdens, and workers struggling without fair minimum wages.
The memorandum stressed that legislators are representatives bound by constitutional duty, not “owners of the state.” CPI(M) accused both ruling and opposition parties of uniting for self‑interest, calling the revised monthly package of Rs 3,45,000 a “cruel mockery” of citizens’ suffering.
The party announced plans for statewide protests and said it would draw the attention of the President of India and the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly.
CPI(M) compared the situation to the repeal of the three farm laws under public pressure, demanding immediate withdrawal of the Bills as a betrayal of public trust.
