Sitting Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) across the country have an average annual income of Rs 24.6 lakh, with Karnataka topping the charts with its legislative assembly members earning an average of over Rs 1 crore per annum, said a report.

On the other hand, Chhattisgarh MLAs earn the lowest with their average annual income coming at Rs 5.4 lakh, said a study Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

ADR has analysed the self-declared affidavits of 3,145 out of 4,086 sitting MLAs as 941 MLAs have not declared their income.

The southern region has the highest average annual income worth Rs 51.99 Lakh, while the MLAs from the eastern part of the country has the lowest average annual income – Rs 8.53 lakhs, the report said.

Karnataka is followed by Maharashtra with an average annual income of Rs 43.4 lakhs per MLA.

Besides, 25 percent of MLAs have declared business as their profession, while 24 percent declared farming as their source of income.

The 13 per cent MLAs who have declared their profession as farming and business have the highest average annual income of Rs 57.81 lakh.

MLAs who have declared real estate business and acting/filmmaking as their profession, each comprise 1 percent of the total MLAs analysed, but they are among the top-four highest paid profession categories with an average annual income of Rs 39.69 lakh and Rs 28.48 lakh, respectively.

Housewife, teachers, pensioners and lawyers are among the least paid profession categories.

Around 33 percent of MLAs have declared their educational qualification to be between fifth standard and 12th pass, have an average annual income of Rs. 31. 03 Lakhs. While 63 percent of MLAs have declared to be graduate or above, earned an average annual income of Rs 20.87 lakh.

MLAs who have declared themselves to be illiterate have an average annual self-income of Rs 9. 31 lakh.

MLAs of age between 25 and 50 years have an average annual income of Rs 18.25 lakh, while the legislators with age between 51 and 80 years have an average annual income of Rs 29.32 lakh.

First Published:Sept 17, 2018 9:43 PM IST