Guvs demand medical, secretarial allowance post retirement

Home Minister P Chidambaram has agreed to consider the two demands of medical and secretarial allowance raised by governors at an informal meeting chaired by President Pratibha Patil during the three-day governors' conference that ended on Sunday.

Patil expressed surprise that governors had to fend for themselves from the day they retire and wanted an early decision on the demands raised by them.

When the issue of medical facility to the ex-governors was brought up at the forum, the government offered to extend the facility of CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme), but the governors, however, wanted a medical allowance in cash to avail hospital facilities of their choice.

As for the demand of secretarial allowance, the President assured that every former governor will receive Rs 10,000 per month to engage a private secretary.

Former state governors may soon start receiving cash retirement benefits for the secretarial assistance and medical treatment, which they cease to enjoy the day they relinquish office at the Raj Bhawan. There are around 250 former governors who will get the benefit.

The governors also wanted pension for former governors, but Chidambaram expressed his reservations on this. He was of the opinion that since anybody appointed as governor would have either been a former minister, MP, MLA, MLC, bureaucrat or an officer of the three forces, they would already be entitled for pension. However, Chidambaram said that if there were any special cases they could be considered.

Sources said there were two informal meetings in which the governors also sought a warrant of precedent to appoint a former governor next to the chief minister, as is the case with the ex-President, who is ranked always next to the prime minister at the Centre.

Sources said that there is no dispute between the Centre and the states on deciding who would bear the burden of the proposed retirement benefits to the ex-governors. Governors receive their salary of Rs 1.10 lakh per month, the third highest after the President and the vice-president of India, from the consolidated fund of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and hence the retirement benefits will also flow from this fund.