Enhanced salary, perks for Andhra MLAs soon

At present the MLAs draw a monthly salary of Rs 750 and as per the proposals, it would be Rs 2,500 after the enhancement. Similarly, house rent, telephone allowance and secretarial allowance too will go up substantially.

Besides, the salary hike for the MLAs, the Cabinet also discussed the draft reforms to be introduced in the AP State Electricity Board APSEB.

According to sources, the discussion was inconclusive. The Chief Minister explained the need to introduce reforms in the long-term interests of the board.

He is understood have advocated restructuring the APSEB, despite the feeling in a section of the Telugu Desam MLAs that power supply was one of the reasons theparty could not fare well in the last Lok Sabha elections.

The World Bank8217;s insistence on restructuring the board as condition to its loan package and the huge debt burden in which the board has steeped in came up for discussion.

At the same time, the Cabinet decided to provide 50,000 new agricultural connections this year as per the Chief Minister8217;s promise during the elections. The Cabinet discussed the implementation of the pay revision commission PRC recommendations for the judicial services. Barring a minor changes, the Cabinet almost adopted the recommendation for the payment of arrears for the judicial staff.