Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Withdraws Bills on MLAs Salaries and Allowances After BJP Objections
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday withdrew Bills seeking an increase in the salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister, Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly. The withdrawal followed objections from BJP legislators, who said they did not want any salary hike while issues faced by daily wagers and contractual employees remained unresolved.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, had introduced the Bills in the House. As he moved the first Bill, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma raised objections and said the legislature would face public anger if it approved a salary increase while the problems of daily wagers were not addressed .
Sham Lal Sharma was the chairman of the House Committee that had recommended the salary increase last year .
Chief Minister Responds
Responding to the objections, Omar Abdullah said there was no dissenting note in the House Committee that had recommended the proposed increase . He said BJP members were seeking higher salaries and allowances while also attempting to politicise the issue by referring to the problems faced by daily wagers .
The Chief Minister said he would not push the Bills through unless the entire House was unanimous. He said he was withdrawing the legislation.
Omar Abdullah said, ‘I was never in favour of it. If a single member opposes, it will never pass. I withdraw the Bill.’
He also said, ‘I was against it. But there were demands from both sides. But I told them, it will happen only when all legislators vote for it. Even if one legislator votes against it, I am not going to move it. Now that you have opposed it, I am withdrawing the Bill.’
After his statement, the House voted by majority in favour of withdrawing the legislation .
Proposed Increases
The Bills had sought to revise the salary and allowances of ministers, sitting MLAs and former legislators. A panel of legislators had recommended a salary hike from Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 3 lakh along with allowances, telephone bills and house loans .
The committee had also recommended increasing the housing loan limit for MLAs from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, the vehicle advance limit from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, and the monthly salary of personal assistants from Rs 12,000 to Rs 25,000 .
The proposed legislation included three separate Bills. Bill No. 13 of 2026 sought to amend the 1956 law relating to the salaries of ministers and ministers of state. Bill No. 14 of 2026 sought to amend the 1960 law relating to the salaries and allowances of members of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature. Bill No. 15 of 2026 sought to amend the 1984 law relating to the pension of former members .
Pension Amendment Passed
Separately, the Assembly passed a Bill seeking to amend the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members Pension Act, 1984 . The legislation was introduced as L.A. Bill No. 15 of 2026 and was moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah .
The Bill provides for an increase of Rs 10,000 in the pension for former legislators . The pension amendment was passed without objection from BJP members .
The passage of the pension Bill led to a lighter moment in the House. Omar Abdullah said, ‘Now, it will be easy for me to go back home today.’ His father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who was watching from the VIP gallery, laughed and pointed at himself. Omar Abdullah added, ‘I have a former MLA at Home.’
Members of the House, including BJP legislators, also laughed along .
The Assembly had been witnessing stormy scenes over a statehood resolution when the salary Bills were taken up . The sitting was later adjourned for the day.
