Post presidential life of Mr. Ram Nath Kovind is highly luxurious

Ram Nath Kovind, the nation’s fourteenth president, leaves his position and Rashtrapati Bhavan to make room for Droupadi Murmu, the nation’s first tribal leader. He also held a meal at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 25, the final day of his term, for President-elect Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union council of ministers.

What life awaits Ram Nath Kovind after his Presidential tenure? What benefits and perks will he continue to get after retirement?

A house befitting a former president A former president is given a type-8 bungalow in accordance with the guidelines. The Directorate of Estates (DoE), a division of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is responsible for overseeing the administration and management of all government-owned estates in India, including government-owned homes and other assets. The General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Act governs the distribution of central government bungalows.

What all does a type 8 bunglow has?

A type-8 bungalow normally contains seven rooms, including accommodations for household staff. Ram Nath Kovind, the outgoing president, has been given 12 Janpath, a luxurious mansion in the centre of New Delhi, by the Centre. Before the move, extensive renovations were made under the direction of Kovind’s daughter. It’s interesting to note that Ram Vilas Paswan, a former Union minister and leader of Bihar, had resided in this mansion for more than 20 years. After him, his son Chirag Paswan lived there, but in late March, he was forced to leave.

Later, it was given to Railway Minister Ashwini Vashnaw, but he moved to a different residence since younger Paswan refused to leave the home. After retiring, Kovind will move in next door to Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, who resides at 10 Janpath. Kovind liked the expansive Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is spread across over 200,000 square feet. For over three decades, Sonia Gandhi has resided in this roomy government home in the Lutyens neighbourhood. On May 22, 1991, Sonia Gandhi was given the number 10 home on Janpath. Ram Nath Kovind received 10, Rajaji Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi, the home of previous President APJ Abdul Kalam until his passing, when he replaced Pranab Mukherjee as president in 2017.

Pension

Currently, earning a salary of Rs 5 lakh per month, outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind will receive a pension of Rs 1.5 lakh per month after retirement. This amount is decided by the President’s Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 2008. Before the 2008 amendment, the pension amount was Rs 50,000.

Other benefits for Ram Nath Kovind

As per the President’s Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 2008, the outgoing President is also entitled to one private secretary, an additional private secretary, one personal assistant and two peons. He is also entitled to office expenses amounting to Rs 60,000 per annum.

As former President, Kovind will also be given two landlines, mobile phone, broadband and internet connection. His wife, Savita Kovind, will also be given Rs 30,000 as secretarial support per month. Apart from this, Kovind will also not have to pay for electricity and water.

Kovind, who rode in a bulletproof Mercedes during his tenure, will also be given a car and a driver. President Kovind will also get free medical treatment for the rest of his life post retirement. He can also avail free first class rail tickets and flight tickets for travel for the rest of his life. Kovind, who was guarded by the President’s Bodyguards and the National Security Guard (NSG), will also be provided the security of Delhi Police.

Nation welcomes Droupadi Murmu with open arms

Droupadi Murmu will take oath as the 15th President of India today at 10.15 am at the Central Hall of Parliament. She became the first tribal President after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on 18 July.

Also Read: Draupadi Murmu: History created as she rose from the ashes to be the President of India