# Odisha minister says MLA salary hike ‘absolutely necessary’ 2026-08-14T05:00:39+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena has called for a salary and pension hike for sitting and former MLAs, calling the existing remuneration grossly inadequate. Speaking on Thursday, Jena said a pay revision is 'absolutely necessary' because the current salary cannot meet even daily expenses. He clarified that his earlier remark about Rs 150 dosa was taken out of context but stood by the need for an increase. Odishatv.in reports that Jena described the condition of ex-MLAs as 'very pathetic' and said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has likely consulted all parties, including former CM Naveen Patnaik, before deciding on the revision. ## Coverage - odishatv.in Tags: Bibhuti Jena, MLA salary, Odisha, Odishatv.in, pension hike, public representatives Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-minister-says-mla-salary-hike-absolutely-necessary/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-minister-says-mla-salary-hike-absolutely-necessary/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.