SFI Protests Salary Hike for MLAs in Shimla, Begs for 68 MLAs on HPU Campus
SFI protesting in HPU over the salary of MLAs
Shimla, 03 April: In a unique and dramatic form of protest, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) demonstrated its opposition to the recent salary hike for Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Himachal Pradesh. On the final day of the budget session, SFI activists took to the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) campus, where they symbolically “begged” for the 68 MLAs, urging them to reconsider their decision to increase their salaries amidst the state’s growing financial challenges.
The protestors criticized the government’s move to raise MLAs’ salaries by 26 percent at a time when the state’s debt burden has exceeded one lakh crore rupees. According to the student body, this salary hike will only exacerbate the financial condition of the state, which is already grappling with significant economic strain.
Mukesh Kumar, the Vice President of SFI at HPU, voiced the organization’s concerns, pointing out the contradictions in the government’s stance. “The Sukhu government, which has been continuously highlighting the state’s financial crisis, has chosen to increase the salaries of its MLAs instead of addressing more pressing issues,” Kumar stated. “This decision reflects misplaced priorities, especially when the budget session should have focused on crucial areas like the improvement of the education and health sectors.”
He further emphasized the need for a focused discussion on unemployment and job creation, as well as recruitment drives for the youth. “It is unfortunate that, instead of discussing these urgent issues, the lawmakers were more concerned about increasing their own salaries,” he said.
SFI’s protest in the form of begging for the 68 MLAs was intended to symbolically open the eyes of those in power to the state’s worsening financial conditions and the hardships faced by ordinary citizens, especially students and the unemployed. The group hopes that such a bold gesture will spark a more meaningful conversation about fiscal responsibility and the urgent need for reform in critical public services.
As the protests unfold, it remains to be seen whether the government will heed the concerns of the student body or continue to prioritize the financial interests of its lawmakers.
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