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

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 V-P 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 said on condition of anonymity.

At present, the President gets ₹1.50 lakh per month, the VicePresident ₹1.25 lakh and a Governor of a state ₹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 ₹2.5 lakh per month and a Secretary in the Union government draws ₹2.25 lakh per month.

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 ₹5 lakh, the Vice-President’s salary will increase to ₹3.5 lakh and a Governor’s to ₹3 lakh per month. Salaries of the President, Vice-President and Governors were last hiked in 2008 when the Parliament had approved a threefold increase.

Till 2008, the President’s salary was ₹50,000, the Vice-President’s ₹40,000 and a Governor’s ₹36,000 per month.

NEWDELHI: