Karnataka MLAs are demanding a salary increase despite the state facing a cash crunch and delays in welfare scheme payments.
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00:00The top story this time, very interesting, comes in from Karnataka and this is about
00:05our leaders in Karnataka, a state that is facing a cash crunch.
00:09They cannot pay their welfare schemes.
00:12Despite ranking highest among all these categories, the MLAs are demanding a hike in their salary.
00:19So while they are expecting everyone else to not really push for the guarantees in the
00:23schemes right now, a total of 31 MLAs in Karnataka possess assets exceeding 100 crore rupees.
00:29Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiv Kumar has declared a wealth surpassing over 1,400 crore rupees,
00:37ranking him as the second richest MLA in India, across the country.
00:42As per a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms, Karnataka leads the country in the
00:46number of billionaire MLAs.
00:48Andhra Pradesh follows in second place, 27 billionaire legislators.
00:54Maharashtra ranks third with 18.
00:57But Karnataka tops this list, so I rated it again, very interesting, Karnataka tops
01:01the list with the richest MLAs, followed by Andhra Pradesh and then Maharashtra and interestingly
01:06it is in these states that right now in Karnataka, where in total the assets of all these MLAs
01:14amount to be about 14,000 crore rupees, it's all about money.
01:18And then these MLAs now want a hike in their salary.
01:23Sagar, I am only looking at the irony of this case this morning, but tell me about
01:31this pay hike.
01:33I don't think the Karnataka MLAs are paid very poorly that they are demanding a hike
01:38at a time when there is barely any money to pay for the guarantee schemes and welfare
01:43schemes.
01:44Absolutely, the priority has been placed on all the public representatives in the state
01:50of Karnataka because there is a lot of pending amount which should be paid for the beneficiaries
01:56in the guarantees.
01:57And apart from that, even if you notice that they are also collecting, hiking the prices
02:02of electricity, water and various other things, instead of trying to compensate with the money
02:09that they are trying to get as a hike as a salary, they are demanding more money.
02:17And if you notice that ADR, the report which has been submitted has clearly stated that
02:21around 31 MLAs are the billionaires from Karnataka and these are the same MLAs who are demanding
02:28a salary hike.
02:29All right, so we'll be tracking all that and more.
02:31Remember, there are, of course, additional, the kind of reimbursements, everything that
02:37will be included in these hike as and when it happens, but Karnataka MLAs clearly feel
02:42they deserve a hike even though their constituents may not be able to really right now be able
02:48to go ahead with the salary hike.