The only one to speak on the matter was the lone CPI(M) MLA, Amra Ram, who objected to the fact that such legislation was brought in and immediately passed when a hike in minimum wages, anxiously awaited by lakhs of workers, was not being approved by the Government. But he was prevented from going on by his colleagues, who pulled him down by his arm.

Incidentally, the Bills were neither listed in the day's business nor was a copy of them provided to any MLA or Press person.

The legislation was passed by voice vote in no time, minutes before the House adjourned sine die. One of the Bills related to emoluments of ministers and the second to those of legislators and officers of the Rajasthan Assembly.

As a result of yesterday's action, the people of the state will have to pay over Rs 2.2 crore to their representatives for their services.

The MLAs will now get Rs 20,000 a month, a hike of as much as Rs 6,000 a month. Though their salary remains Rs 3,000, their allowances have been raised. Constituency allowance has gone up from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 a month; telephone allowance from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000; expenditure on electricity from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000; and postal allowance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. The MLAs' daily allowances have also been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 300 within the state and Rs 400 outside.

The Speaker will now get a salary of Rs 14,000 a month and deputy speaker Rs 12,000 a month, and they will be entitled to an allowance of Rs 7,000 for entertaining guests.

Leader of Opposition and chief whip would be entitled to salaries and allowances of a Cabinet minister while the deputy chief whip would get the emoluments of a minister of state.

The Chief Minister will get a salary of Rs15,000 and an allowance of Rs 10,000 for entertaining guests; Cabinet ministers will get a salary of Rs 13,000 and Rs 7,000 as guest allowance; and ministers of state will get a salary of Rs 12,000 and Rs 7,000 as guest allowance.

The man who countered Ram in the House on the matter was Parliamentary Affairs Minister Khet Singh Rathore. Rathore said Ram was the only member to ``unnecessarily'' raise such objections while continuing to avail of the increased emoluments himself. Ram countered this by telling him to amend the Bill so that Communists would not get the benefits.