A research was conducted by ADR and NEW on the income of sitting MLAs and an analysis was drawn to co-relate the income of the MLAs and their educational qualification. At present, there are 4086 sitting MLAs, out of which 941 MLAs have refrained from declaring their income. Hence, this report is based on the self-declared affidavits of 3145 MLAs. The primary focus of this article is on the self income per annum of the sitting MLAs. It turns out that the annual income of 3145 sitting MLAs is Rs.24.59 Lakhs on an average.

Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On Regional Basis

ü This report has included only 3 North-Eastern states such as Manipur, Tripura, Assam in the regionwise and state-wise analysis. This is so because the remaining MLAs from other north-eastern states have not declared their income. Thus, for state-wise and region- wise analysis, 3141 out 3145 MLAs have been analysed. They have an average annual income of Rs. 9.32 Lakhs. 

ü Southern Region tops the list with 711 MLAs having an annual income of Rs. 51.99 Lakhs on an average.

ü On the other hand, the Eastern Region consisting of 614 MLAs have the lowest annual income of Rs. 8.53 Lakhs on an average.

ü Northern Region, Western Region and Central Region have an average annual income of Rs. 16.29 Lakhs, Rs. 28.41 Lakhs and Rs. 12.65 Lakhs respectively.

Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On The Basis Of States

ü  203 MLAs analysed of Karnataka have the highest average annual income of Rs. 111.4 Lakhs, followed by 256 MLAs analysed of Maharastra having an average annual income of Rs. 43.4 Lakhs. 

ü  Chhattisgarh State Assembly’s 63 MLAs have the lowest average annual income of Rs. 5.4 Lakhs, followed by Jharkhand’s 72 MLAshaving an average annual income of Rs. 7.4 Lakhs.

Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On The Basis Of Profession

ü  A total number of 3145 MLAs analysed were analysed, out of which 55 MLAs which in turns amounts to 2%, have not mentioned their profession in the affidavit. 

ü  The profession of the MLAs were categorized by the ADR into fifteen types consisting of Business, Social Work, Actor/Filmaker, Doctor, Lawyer/ Advocate, Agricultural/ Cultivation/ Farmer, Pensioner/Retired, MLA/MLC/Politician, Housewife/ Government/Private Services, Farming and Business, Agriculture and Service, Teacher, Real Estate etc. 

ü  25% of the MLAs that is 771 out of 3145 MLAs have declared their profession as business followed by 24% of them, that 758 out of 3145 MLAs, declaring their profession as farmers or agriculturists.

ü  397 MLAs amounting to 13% who have the highest average annual income of Rs. 57.81 Lakhs, have taken up farming and business as their profession. 

ü  Even though MLAs belonging to the profession of Acting, Filmaking and Real Estate Business are among the top four category of highest paid professions with average annual income of Rs. 39.69 Lakhs and Rs. 28.48 Lakhs respectively, they only amount to 2% of the total MLAs analysed.

ü  The least paid categories of profession includes lawyers/advocates, pensioner/retired, teacher and housewife with an average annual income of Rs.9.64 Lakhs, Rs. 8.39 Lakhs, rs. 6.76 Lakhs and Rs. 3.79 Lakhs respectively.

 Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On The Basis Of Educational Qualifications

ü  The educational qualification of 776 MLAs, which amounts to 25%,is graduation and the self-income per annum of these MLAs is Rs. 19.8 Lakhs on an average.

ü  Four of the MLAs who have not provided their educational qualification have an annual self-income of Rs. 1.52 crores on an average.

ü  1052 MLAs who have an annual income of Rs. 31. 03 Lakhs on an average have given their educational qualification to be between 5th Pass to 12th pass. They amount to atotal of 33%.

ü  The graph given below clearly indicates that the MLAs who have an educational qualification of Class 8 pass have the highest annual income being Rs. 89.88 Lakhs on an average, whereas on the other hand , the MLAs with an educational qualification of Doctorate have the second lowest annual income of Rs. 12.43 Lakhs on an average.

ü  MLAs who have declared themselves to be illiterate have an average annual self-income of Rs. 9. 31 Lakhs, that being the lowest.

 Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On The Basis Of Age

ü  559 MLAs who have declared their age to be between 61-70 years, have an annual income of Rs. 41.1 Lakhs on an average.

ü  41 MLAs who have declared their age to be between 21-30 years, have average annual income of Rs. 9.15 Lakhs and 109 MLAs who belong to the age of 71-80 years have an annual income of Rs. 13.54 Lakhs on an average.

ü  11 MLAs who belong to the age group of 81- 90 years, have the highest annual income of Rs. 87.71 Lakhs on an average, whereas 2 MLAs who have declared their age to be above 90 years, have an annual income of Rs. 60.91 Lakhs on an average.

ü  3 MLAs who have not mentioned their age have an annual income of Rs. 6.12 Lakhs on an average.

Average Self Income Per Annum of the MLAs On The Basis Of Gender

 ü  Only 258 MLAs out of a total of 3145 MLAs are female with an annual income of Rs. 10.53 Lakhs on an average.

ü  On the other hand, 98% of the MLAs being male have an annual income of Rs. 25.85 Lakhs on an average.

Recommendations

ü   It should be made mandatory for the candidates to declare their annual income in their affidavit, whether or not they have filed their ITR returns. 

ü   There should be an uniform categorization of professions declared by the candidates.

ü  In the recently implemented section for source of income, candidates should declare the detailed amount of income from each source.