Tripura to move bill giving retirement benefits to MLAs who served even for a day

A bill would be moved in the Winter session of the Tripura Assembly amending the existing law to provide retirement benefits to MLAs who have served even for just a day, officials said on Thursday. 

The three-day Winter session of the Tripura Assembly is scheduled to begin on January 10.

A senior Assembly official said that if a member of the Assembly just took the oath and served a day as an MLA, he or she would get the retirement benefits, including pension, and housing loan.

According to the official, as per the latest amendment in 2022 to the Salaries, Allowances, Pensions and Other Benefits of the Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Chief Whip and MLA Act, an MLA would get retirement benefits including a pension if he or she served as a member of the house for at least four-and-a-half years.

The official said that the salary, allowances, pensions and family pensions of the Ministers, sitting MLAs, and former MLAs would be increased under the proposed bill.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that three important bills, including the amendment bill modifying the existing law to provide retirement benefits to MLAs, would be moved.

He said that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), in its meeting on Wednesday, unanimously decided to hold a three-day winter session from January 10.

Nath said that the three-day Assembly session would include private member resolutions, the introduction and a discussion on three bills, apart from discussion on various other issues.

On the first day of the session on January 10, Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu would give his customary address to the house.

"The Governor in his address would highlight the performance and vision of the state government," the minister told the media.