Salary Hike on Hold? Why Odisha Government Might Rethink the MLA Pay Rise Bill

Odisha’s “MLA jackpot” has officially hit pause. The same hike that was supposed to take MLAs’ monthly package from about ₹1.11 lakh to ₹3.45 lakh is now under review, even though the Assembly had already passed the Bills unanimously.​

What Went Wrong?

1. Public anger exploded
   • The three‑fold hike came at a time when people are struggling with prices and unemployment, and it instantly triggered backlash across Odisha.​
   • Social media and civil groups questioned how leaders could afford a 211% raise for themselves while demanding “tight budgets” for everyone else.​
2. Signal from Delhi
   • Reports say Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP central leadership were unhappy that a BJP‑ruled state suddenly created some of the highest‑paid MLAs in India.​
   • CM Mohan Charan Majhi was reportedly told in Delhi that such a big, unconsulted hike sends a wrong message and should be rolled back or cut down.​
3. Everyone doing damage control
   • BJP MLAs have now written to the Chief Minister, asking him to reconsider the hike “respecting public opinion”.​
   • BJD MLAs have also joined the demand for a review, and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik publicly said he would forgo the extra salary.​
   • Congress and Left parties too have opposed the raise, making it politically risky to push ahead.​

What Is the Status Now?

• The Bills are still with the Governor and have not received assent, so the new salary is not in force yet.​
• Both ruling BJP and opposition BJD have officially asked the CM to rethink the hike, which means a rollback or reduction is very likely.​

Most observers expect the government to cut down the hike, not scrap it fully—maybe settling somewhere closer to a moderate raise instead of the full jump to ₹3.45 lakh