Salary hike for members of LG bodies

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister A.L.M. Athaullah told Parliament yesterday that the members of local government institutions including Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas will receive a salary increase from this month.

The Minister who participated in the committee stage debate on the expenditure heads of his Ministry said that Mayors of Municipal Councils (MCs) and Chairmen of Urban Councils (UCs) will get a monthly salary of Rs.30,000 while their deputies will get Rs. 25,000.

Meanwhile, the members of MCs and UCs will get a monthly salary of Rs. 20,000.

Earlier the Chairman of a MC or UC was paid Rs 15,000 per month, deputies Rs 10,000 and members Rs.7,000.

The Chairman of a Pradeshiya Sabha will get a monthly salary of Rs. 25,000 from this month, the Deputy Chairman will get Rs. 20,000 and Pradeshiya Sabha members will get Rs. 15,000. Previously a Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman was paid Rs.10,000, Deputy Chairman Rs. 6,500 and members Rs. 5,000.

At present there are 23 MCs, 41 UCs and 271 Pradeshiya Sabhas in the country with total number of over 3,000 members.