The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a bill allowing a 400% hike in the basic salary of legislators, besides a hefty increase in perks and allowances. According to the provisions of the bill, the basic salary of legislators will rise from the current Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000, and their overall monthly package will be around Rs 2.1 lakh as against Rs 88,000 at present, reported PTI. The basic salary of ministers, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Whip and the Leader of Opposition will be around Rs 80,000 and their total pay nearly Rs 3.67 lakh as against Rs 1.2 lakh now.

The Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Government of NCT of Delhi (Salaries, Allowances, Pension) Amendment Bill 2015 will now be sent to the Centre for approval. An "independent panel" appointed by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government recommended the pay hike in October. The committee went through the pay and allowance structures of many state assemblies as well as those of the United States Congress, United Kingdom, Australia and many other Commonwealth nations. The Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the AAP government for bringing the bill and demanded its immediate withdrawal, with two legislators walking out in protest.