Nearly three months after the legislators took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly, the government has released one month's salary of the newly elected legislators.
The payment, which includes their basic salary and allowances, was disbursed at the previous pay scale, sources said.
When the Assembly of the erstwhile J&K State was dissolved in November 2018, legislators received a CDF of Rs three crore per year, along with Rs 1.60 lakh in monthly perks, which included a salary of Rs 80,000 and equal allowances.
Following Article 370 abrogation and downgrading and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs) on August 5, 2019, the Assembly has to determine the salaries and allowances of MLAs.
Until such legislation is enacted, this responsibility lies with the Lieutenant Governor.
“The cabinet had sent a recommendation to the Lieutenant Governor regarding enhancement of salaries and perks to the MLAs. However, there has been no progress on it since then and as of now the legislators have been paid salaries as the previous scale,” they said.
Last month, the Speaker had formally written to the government, seeking clarification on the legal provisions that govern MLA salaries.
The CDF is typically allocated to elected legislators to fund infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other essential projects in their respective constituencies.
In the erstwhile J&K state, legislators were provided with Rs three crore annually as CDF in three installments.