The Telangana High Court has disqualified BRS Kothagudem MLA Vanama Venkateswara Rao from the State Assembly. This has led to a discussion about whether the government will recover the salary and perks he received since becoming a member of the Assembly. The court’s decision came just a few months before his term was set to end.
In these cases, the only consequence for the disqualified member is that they may not be given a ticket in the next elections. However, there is no way to recover the salary and perks they have already received.
MLAs in Telangana receive a monthly salary of about Rs 3 lakh, which includes various allowances. This is the highest salary for legislators in the country. Their fixed salary is Rs 2.5 lakh, and they also receive allowances for things like contingencies, secretarial work, transportation, telephone charges, and Assembly sessions.
Legal experts have explained that there is no provision to recover money spent on a disqualified member. The disqualification is effective from the date of the court’s verdict and does not have a retrospective effect. The disqualified member had attended sessions, participated in proceedings and meetings, and received the money they were entitled to.
Furthermore, the candidate who secured the second highest votes and will take oath as a legislator in place of the disqualified member will also not receive any financial compensation for the period they missed.
