President, VP, Governors pay packet raised by 300 pc

New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) The President, the Vice-President and Governors will now get a hefty 300 pay hike after the Government today cleared a proposal to increase their monthly emoluments.

The President's monthly pay packet has been raised to Rs 1.50 lakh-- a three-time hike from the precent Rs 50,000.

Similarly, the Vice-President emoluments have been increased to Rs 1.25 lakh from Rs 40,000, and that of Governors to Rs 1.10 lakh from Rs 36,000.

The proposal was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Immediately after the hike, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil contributed a month's salary to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, for relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected people in Bihar.

The CCEA also rationalised post-retirement benefits to former Presidents, former Vice Presidents and their spouses, an official spokesperson said.

The hike is expected to come into effect from January 1, 2007.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet had recommended raising the salary of the president from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, that of the vice-president from Rs 40,000 to Rs 85,000, and of governors from Rs 36,000 to Rs 75,000.

But the recommendations were not implemented.

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