Karnataka's 203 MLAs emerge richest with Rs111.4 lakh average annual income
18 Sep 2018
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Karnataka has the richest legislators in the country with 203 of its 224 MLAs having an average annual income of Rs111.4 lakh against the national average income of Rs24.59 lakh for the 3,145 sitting MLAs.
Of the 224 Karnataka MLAs, 203 have the highest average annual income of Rs111.4 lakh, followed by Maharashtra's 256 MLAs (Rs43.4 lakh), according to an analysis of the affidavits of 3,145 legislators.
The findings were released on Monday by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO that works for electoral and political reforms.
The affidavits of 941 MLAs did not declare their income, said the report, adding that the analysis primarily focused on the annual (self) income of the sitting MLAs only.
At least 711 MLAs in the southern region have the highest average annual income of Rs51.99 lakh, while 614 MLAs in the eastern region have the lowest Rs8.53 lakh.
A total of 63 MLAs of Chhattisgarh Assembly have the lowest average annual income of Rs5.4 lakh, followed by Jharkhand's 72 MLAs with Rs7.4 lakh.
Out of 3,145 MLAs analysed, 55 (2 per cent) have not given their profession in their affidavit, 771 (25 per cent) declared business as their profession and 758 (24 per cent) said they are agriculturist or farmer.
About 397 (13 per cent) MLAs, who have declared their profession as agriculture and business, have the highest average annual income of Rs57.81 lakh.
"MLAs under real estate business and acting or filmmaking profession category comprise only 1 per cent of the total MLAs analysed," the analysis revealed, adding "nevertheless, they are among the top four highest paid profession categories with an average annual income of Rs39.69 lakh and Rs28.48 lakh, respectively".
"Housewife, teacher, pensioner and lawyer are among the least paid profession categories," it said.
About 1,052 (33 per cent) MLAs, who have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th to 12th pass, have an average annual income of Rs31.03 lakh. "At least 1,997 (63 per cent) MLAs, graduate or above, have an average annual income of Rs20.87 lakh.
About 139 8th pass MLAs have average annual self-income worth Rs89.88 lakh, while those who have declared themselves to be illiterate have an average annual self-income of Rs9.31 lakh.
A total of 1,402 MLAs, aged 25-50 years, have an average annual income of Rs18.25 lakh and 1,727, aged 51-80 years, have Rs29.32 lakh annual income.
At least 11 MLAs, aged 81-90 years, have an average annual income of Rs87.71 lakh whereas two MLAs, declaring their age above 90 years, have Rs60.91 lakh.
Only 258 (8 per cent) MLAs are women, said the analysis. "On an average, a male MLA's annual self-income is Rs25.85 lakh whereas for a female MLA, it is Rs10.53 lakh."
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