Ranchi, Feb 24 (IANS) The entitlement of legislators in Jharkhand for air and rail travel coupons has been increased to Rs.5 lakh per annum, a state minister told the assembly on Wednesday.
"The coupons for legislators have been increased from Rs.3 lakh to Rs.5 lakh per annum," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Rai said in the assembly.
Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) legislator Arup Chatterjee had raised the issue in the house, saying that the limit of coupons to ex-legislators had been increased from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.3 lakh but the MLAs' entitlement had not been increased.
Tabling the 2016-17 budget in the assembly on February 19, the Jharkhand government announced a hike in Local Area Development Fund entitlement of legislators from the existing Rs.3 crore to Rs.4 crore.
The legislators' salaries too were hiked in May last year to Rs.21.64 lakh per annum from Rs.11.62 lakh earlier.
