Legislators in Bihar will be able to buy residential plots of two kathas each in Patna at a price set by the state government, in what has been described as a gift ahead of the assembly election. The land, in the Ashiananagar area of the capital, is to be arranged through a new housing cooperative of legislators.

How the scheme works

The Bihar State Cooperative Federation and the Bihar Land Development Bank will act as nodal agencies to provide land to the Swablambi Grih Nirman Sahyog Samiti. The cooperative is headed by the state’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar, with Cooperative Minister Rana Randhir as secretary and BJP legislator Sachindra Kumar as treasurer.

Former and serving legislators who do not own a house in Patna can join. Shrawan Kumar said 100 members had already submitted forms, and that other formalities would follow once the society is registered. The rush is attributed to uncertainty among many legislators about returning to the assembly in the political climate after the 2019 Lok Sabha election, since several may not be renominated.

An older legislators’ colony near the veterinary college already houses senior leaders such as Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and Ram Vilas Paswan, but several plots there are said to have been sold, swapped or rented out in breach of the society’s rules.

New bungalows and higher pay

The government has recently built duplex bungalows for sitting legislators costing an estimated Rs 600 crore or so. Bihar has 318 legislators: 243 MLAs and 75 MLCs. The bungalows will be allotted by constituency number, and many members who have been renting since the old flats were pulled down are expected to move in by December.

• In November last year, the Nitish Kumar government raised legislators’ salaries by 33 per cent and increased allowances.
• Members now get a basic salary of Rs 40,000 a month, a Rs 50,000 constituency allowance, Rs 10,000 for stationery and Rs 30,000 a month for private secretaries.
• They also receive travel coupons worth Rs 3 lakh a year and can take vehicle loans of up to Rs 15 lakh.
• Former legislators with one year in the House get a pension of Rs 35,000 a month, rising by Rs 3,000 for each additional year.

The previous increase came in 2014, under Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, when former chief ministers were also given lifelong facilities including private staff. According to the Association for Democratic Reforms, 162 of Bihar’s 243 MLAs are crorepatis, and 14 of them have assets above Rs 10 crore.

What happened next

In the 2020 Bihar assembly election, the Rashtriya Janata Dal won 75 seats, the BJP 74, the JD(U) 43 and the Congress 19. Nitish Kumar remained Chief Minister.

See also: Rashtriya Janata Dal and state assembly members.

Originally published on 31 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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