By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: In Odisha, apart from Naveen Patnaik led Cabinet, at least 25 persons enjoying Minister Rank. The Patnaik Cabinet has 20 members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh informed this in the State Assembly in response to a question of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
While two MLAs (Leader of Opposition and Government Chief Whip in Assembly) and two non-MLAs (President, WODC and Advisor Health) have been accorded status of Cabinet Ministers, 12 MLAs given Minister of State status (District Planning Committee Chairpersons), an MLA of Deputy Minister rank (Deputy Government Chief Whip in Assembly) and eight non-MLAs (heads of different Government bodies such as WODC) given Minister of State status.
While a Cabinet ranked MLA is getting about 1,60,000 towards salary and perks, the Deputy Minister ranked gets a little less than him.
Excepting the WODC Chairman, other non-MLAs are not getting any salary or perk.DPCs are getting Rs 38,000 as monthly honorarium, vehicle hiring charge of maximum of Rs 42,000 and daily allowance of Rs 800 and telephone charges of Rs 1,500 per month. .
