Rajya Sabha MPs' perks cost Rs 262 crore over two years, RTI reveals
New Delhi: The salaries, allowances, and benefits for Rajya Sabha members cost the exchequer over Rs 262 crore during the last two financial years, according to a reply obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The data was provided by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in response to an application filed by activist Chander Shekhar Gaur.
The RTI response showed that the expenditure covered 21 different heads, including salaries, travel (domestic and international), office expenses, medical reimbursements, and other facilities. In 2024-25, the government spent over Rs 98 crore, which rose to more than Rs 163 crore in 2025-26—an increase of nearly Rs 65 crore in one year.
For 2024-25, the expenditure break-up included: salaries (Rs 25.71 crore), medical bills (Rs 8.2 crore), travel expenses (Rs 24.99 crore), and allowances (over Rs 33.33 crore). In 2025-26, these figures rose to: salaries (over Rs 44.6 crore), medical bills (Rs 9.6 crore), travel expenses (Rs 36 crore), and allowances (over Rs 58.78 crore).
Other expenditure heads encompassed printing and publication, digital equipment, fuel and lubricants, professional services, repair and maintenance, subsidies, and other revenue-related expenses. The total for allowances and travel alone accounted for more than Rs 151 crore over the two years.
Rajya Sabha members are entitled to these benefits under parliamentary rules. The increase in spending reflects normal increases in allowances and possibly higher travel costs. The data does not indicate any irregularity but provides a transparent account of public funds allocated for the functioning of the Upper House of Parliament.
