The salaries of the Delhi MLAs are now set to go up by nearly 200 per cent from Rs 3,500 to Rs 10,000. The salary was Rs 1,650 at the time of constitution of the Assembly in 1993. This hike would put an additional annual burden of Rs 6 crore on the exchequer.

The proposal to this effect was approved by President K.R. Narayanan and this was notified in the Delhi Gazette on July 14. The Assembly has already passed the Salary and Allowances of Delhi MLAs Act last session.

Most of the hike in the salary has come in the form of additional allowances like secretariat allowance of Rs 5,500, constituency allowance of Rs 2,000 and free petrol.