LUCKNOW: The state government on Thursday approved a salary hike for all legislators and pension for Ex-MLAs. The demand for salary hike was being raised for long. The issue once again cropped up in the current session of the house, when Rashtriya Lok Dal MLA Chaudhary Dalbir Singh raised the matter. He said that Uttar Pradesh MLAs are the least paid as compared to the salary that elected representatives get in other states. BJP MLA Suresh Khanna also seconded the proposal and said that the MLA Area Development fund should be hiked, a proposal that all MLAs cutting across party lines supported by thumping their desks.Later, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that the demand for hike in MLA salaries and allowances has been accepted.The direct increase in salary is to the tune of Rs 23,000 per month, but the members of the house also get some other allowances which depend on the number of days the assembly is in session, Public contact programs and railway coupons, which are calculated on actuals and not given on a monthly basis.According to the amendments in the UP State Legislature (Members' Emoluments and Pension Act 1950), the basic salary of legsilatures' has been hiked from Rs 8,000 month to Rs 10,000 per month.The constituency allowance has been hiked from Rs 22,000 to Rs 30,000, medical allaownace from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000. and Secretary allowance from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.The other allowances that which have been hiked are Assembly Session daily allowance from Rs 750 day to Rs 1,000, Public Contact Allowance from Rs 400 to Rs 800 daily day when the assembly is not in session. The free railway coupon to members has been increased from Rs 2,50,000 a year to Rs 3,25,000.The railway coupon can also be exchanged partly for diesel or petrol expenses incurred by legislators.