The Madhya Pradesh cabinet, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav,
decided on June 25, 2024, that state ministers will now be responsible for
paying income tax on their salaries and allowances out of their own pockets. This marks a significant change from a 1972
rule under which the state government bore the tax burden. This decision
was approved unanimously during a cabinet meeting held in Bhopal.
Since 1972, the state
government paid income tax on behalf of ministers, ministers of state, deputy
ministers, and parliamentary secretaries. Now, the ministers will pay the tax
themselves for their salaries and allowances.
The opposition Congress party criticized the
decision, arguing that the state government should focus on reducing wasteful
expenditure on luxuries rather than imposing new financial burdens on
ministers.