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President’s perks: Rs. 1.5-lakh salary, free travel, a palace to live…

The President lives in Rashtrapati Bhavan, a 340-room sprawling palace in the heart of Delhi.

President’s perks: Rs. 1.5-lakh salary, free travel, a palace to live…

(PHOTO: Subrata Dutta)

India got its 14th President in Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday. Being the head of the state and the supreme commander of the defence forces, the President lives in Rashtrapati Bhavan, a sprawling palace in the heart of Delhi. The 340-room building is the largest presidential palace in the world that is spread over 5 acres.

Besides having the luxury to stay at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President has at his or her disposal a retinue of staff, personal body guards, a cavalcade of cars and much more. Also, he/she gets a salary and other perks also.

The President is paid Rs. 1.5 lakh a month as salary. There is proposal to hike the salary to Rs. 5 lakh and the file is awaiting approval from the PMO.

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The President has two holiday retreats — Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad and Retreat Building at Chharabra in Shimla.

The President travels in an armoured Mercedes-Benz S600 and his/her cavalcade has 25 cars. Apart from that, 86 horse-mounted presidential guards move with the President. The First Citizen and the spouse can travel to anyplace in the world free of cost.

The President is allotted a maintenance budget of up to Rs. 30 crore for the upkeep of the palace and to meet the daily expenses. After retirement, the President receives a monthly pension of Rs. 75,000 and gets a Type-VIII (the best accommodation provided by the government excluding the houses of the PM and the President) rent-free furnished bungalow to stay.

The President is also given two free landlines and a mobile phone. He/she also gets a free official car, Rs. 60,000 as staff expense and 250 litres of free petrol a month.

Even after retirement, travel by air and train is free for the President and one person accompanying him/her.

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