New Delhi: The First Citizen and his deputy earn far lesser than top bureaucrats and service chiefs in the country. This is because a proposal sent by the Union home ministry for increasing the salary of President and Vice-President to amend the law to address the anomaly is yet to be finalised by the Cabinet.
The salaries of bureaucrats surpassed that of the President and his deputy after the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission were implemented last year.
As of now, the President gets Rs 1.50 lakh a month, while the Vice-President Rs 1.25 lakh and a governor Rs 1.10 lakh.
Following the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission on January 1, 2016, the Cabinet Secretary, who is the senior-most bureaucrat at the Centre, draws nearly Rs 2.5 lakh per month, while a secretary to the government gets Rs 2.25 lakh.
Once the Cabinet clears the proposal to increase the salary of the President, Vice-President and governors, a revised Bill will be tabled in Parliament for its approval.
Though the President also happens to be the supreme commander of the three armed forces, his salary is less than the service chiefs, who are almost on par with the Cabinet Secretary.
As per the home ministry’s proposal, the President’s monthly salary may increase to Rs 5 lakh, that of the Vice-President to Rs 3.5 lakh and governors' salaries to Rs 3 lakh.
