President, VP continue to get less salary than top babus, chiefs

Team Udayavani, Nov 19, 2017, 2:09 PM IST

New Delhi: The President and the Vice- President continue to get less salaries as compared to the top bureaucrats and service chiefs since the laws are yet to be amended to rectify an anomaly with the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations nearly two years ago.

The proposal for enhancement of the salaries of the President, the Vice President and the Governors was prepared by the Union Home Ministry and forwarded to the Cabinet Secretariate more than a year ago for the approval of the Union Cabinet, a home ministry official said.

However, no decision has been taken on it yet, the official told PTI on condition of anonymity. At present, the President gets Rs 1.50 lakh per month, the Vice-President Rs 1.25 lakh and a Governor of a state Rs 1.10 lakh.

After the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission’s awards on January 1, 2016, the Cabinet Secretary, who is the top-most bureaucrat in the country, gets Rs 2.5 lakh per month and a Secretary in the Union government draws Rs 2.25 lakh per month.

The President is also the supreme commander of all the three armed forces – the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy. However, the President’s current salary is less than the chiefs of the three armed forces, who draw salary equivalent to the cabinet secretary.

No response was received for the text messages sent to the spokesperson of the government, asking the reason for the delay in getting the nod of the Union Cabinet to the home ministry’s proposal. When the Union Cabinet gives its nod to the ministry’s proposal, bills to this effect will be tabled in the Parliament for passage, the official said.

According to the proposal, salary of the President may go up to Rs 5 lakh, the Vice-President’s salary will increase to Rs. 3.5 lakh and a Governor’s to Rs 3 lakh per month. Salaries of the President, Vice-President and Governors were last hiked in 2008 when the Parliament had approved a three-fold increase.

Till 2008, the President’s salary was Rs 50,000, the Vice-President’s Rs 40,000 and a Governor’s Rs 36,000 per month. In addition, proposals are also expected to be moved for raising the pensions of former Presidents, spouses of deceased Presidents, former Vice-Presidents, spouses of deceased Vice-Presidents and former Governors. All the announcements of the central government are made in the name of the President.