Big Pay Hike for President VP and Governors

Big pay hike for President, VP and Governors10 Jan 2008, 1602 hrs IST , PTISMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updatesNEW DELHI:

The President has got a big raise with the monthly pay packet doubled from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh, under a proposal cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday.

And Pratibha Patil is not alone to get such a hike. The Vice-President would get Rs 85,000 per month against the present Rs 40,000, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters.

After a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Dasmunsi told reporters. Likewise, Dasmunsi said, the salary of Governors has been raised from Rs 36,000 a month to Rs 75,000.

The increase in emoluments would come into effect from January 1 last year. The hike was necessitated as Members of Parliament have a Rs 68,000 pay packet while the presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha drew less than them, Dasmunsi said. Former Presidents' emoluments have also been doubled to Rs six lakh a year, while more facilities have been sanctioned for the spouses of late Presidents and Vice Presidents. Dasmunsi said the decision to increase the salary had been taken last year itself, but since the then President and Vice President were retiring, it was deferred.