Hyderabad: If the efforts of legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao succeed, salaries and perks of Telangana legislators are set to get a huge hike from the present Rs 1.20 lakh per month.

On Friday, Mr Harish Rao met a few MLAs in the Opposition benches in the Assembly and informed them of the government’s intention to hike the salary and asked them to give a representation in writing for a hike from the existing Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per month.

He also apparently told them that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was very particular about hiking the legislators’ salary as he felt that the existing salary and perks were meagre.

Legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao hinted that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s intention was to raise legislators’ salary to Rs 2 lakh per month, but insisted that they seek a hike up to Rs 3 lakh.

He also told the MLAs that the government had decided to hike the salaries and honorarium for the representatives of the panchayati raj and urban local bodies in the state, and accordingly, the legislators’ salary structure too would be hiked.

He said that to avoid criticism, it would be better if the legislators themselves gave in writing, requesting the government for a hike.

According to sources, few Opposition MLAs have already submitted letters to this effect.

The entire 18-member Cabinet, including the chief minister, and the newly appointed six Parliamentary secretaries are not part of the proposed hike for MLAs as their salary structure is decided by the Cabinet, which is different from MLAs. If the salaries are hiked to Rs 2 lakh per month, it will be a Rs 12.50-crore additional burden on the exchequer per annum. Minister Harish Rao said nothing had been decided.