Kolkata, March 13 : At a time when discontent is brewing in West Bengal over the pending dearness allowance arrears to the state government employees with the latter having already observed a days strike and two days of pen-down strike, a sharp rise in the expenditure on account of salaries, allowances and other entitlements of ministers and legislators has come into focus.

A debate on this issue has erupted following a comment by the municipal affairs and urban development minister and mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim that the state government believes in paying to the poor and financially marginalized sections of the society rather than giving more to those who are already being paid enough.

After this comment by Hakim, questions are being raised that when the state government does not believe in paying more to those already being paid enough, then what was the justification for increasing the entitlements of ministers and legislators several times since during the last 12 years.

Finance department sources said that by the end of the current financial year of 2022-23, the expenditure on account of salaries, allowances and other entitlements of ministers and legislators is slated to be around Rs 52 crore, up from around Rs 33 crore in 2021-22.

As per the records of the finance department, during 2010-11, which is the last year of the 34-year Left Front regime in West Bengal, the total expenditure from the state exchequer was little over Rs 4 crore. At the same time, the monthly salaries of the ministers also increased manifold during the last 12 years. This is in addition to their entitlement for daily wages like all other MLAs.

Till 2011, the daily allowance for all legislators was fixed at Rs 750 and the amount was the same for ordinary legislators and those holding ministerial portfolios. However, currently an ordinary legislator is entitled to a daily allowance of Rs 2,000 and the amount is Rs 3,000 for those holding ministerial portfolios.

Till 2011, the chief minister was entitled to a monthly salary of Rs 8,500, which is now Rs 1,17,000 in addition to a further entitlement of Rs 1,81,800 per month which includes allowances. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, stays at her own residence at Kalighat in South Kolkata and had not accepted any government accommodation. Her predecessor and the chief minister of the Left Front regime, Buddadehb Bhattacharjee also used to stay in a two-room apartment at Palm Avenue in South Calcutta, where he is still residing with his spouse Meera Bhattacharya.