Maharashtra Hikes Honorarium for Legislators' Personal Assistants and Drivers

The Maharashtra government in Mumbai has increased the monthly honorarium paid to personal assistants and drivers of sitting members of the state legislature, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil announced on August 19, 2026.

Under the revised structure, the monthly honorarium for personal assistants has been raised from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. The monthly pay for drivers of sitting legislators has been increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. The revised honorarium rates will be implemented retrospectively from August 1, 2026.

Patil explained that personal assistants are provided to sitting members of the Maharashtra Legislature under the provisions of the Maharashtra Legislature Members’ Salaries and Allowances Act, 1956. The provision is designed to enable elected representatives to carry out their legislative and administrative responsibilities more effectively.

The decision to raise the remuneration followed a formal proposal and recommendation submitted by the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Legislature Members. Patil stated that the government approved the hike based directly on the committee's recommendations.