Union Cabinet gives Lt Guvs a hefty salary hike

The government on Wednesday cleared a proposal to raise the salary of administrators of centrally-administered cities to Rs. 2.25 lakh.

Lieutenant Governors are the last set of dignitaries to have been granted the hike after the centre implemented the seventh pay commission recommendations for its employees in 2016.

The centre had bundled amendments to give the President, governors, ministers and parliamentarians a raise into the Finance Bill that was passed in the just-concluded budget session of parliament.

The pay hikes come into effect from 1 January 2016

"The Union Cabinet has given its nod for the revision of salary and allowances of Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories and it will be at par with that of the secretary to the government of India," an official statement said.

As of now, the Lieutenant Governors get a basic salary of Rs. 80,000 per month.

The revised salary of Rs. 2.25 lakh takes into account the 125-130 per cent dearness allowance that they were getting. In addition, they will be entitled to get a monthly sumptuary allowance of Rs. 4,000 and local allowances.

The decision comes soon after parliament raising the emoluments of President to Rs. 5 lakh, Rs. 4 lakh for the vice president and to Rs. 3.5 lakh per month for the governors. The President was getting Rs. 1.50 lakh per month, the vice president Rs. 1.25 lakh and a governor of a state Rs. 1.10 lakh.

After the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission's awards on 1 January 2016, the cabinet secretary, who is the top-most bureaucrat in the country, gets Rs. 2.5 lakh per month and a secretary in the Union government draws Rs. 2.25 lakh per month.

There are seven centrally-administered union territories in the country - Delhi, Puducherry, Andaman and

Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Dadar and

Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

Only Delhi, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have Lt Governors. Chandigarh is overseen by the Punjab Governor while territories of Lakshadweep,

Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have administrators.