Jaipur: Former vice-president of India Jagdeep Dhankhar has applied for pension as a former legislator in Rajasthan, officials said.
Dhankhar, who represented the Kishangarh Assembly constituency as a Congress MLA from 1993 to 1998, received pension as a former legislator until July 2019. It was discontinued after he was appointed the governor of West Bengal.
With his tenure as the vice-president ending following his resignation on July 21, Dhankhar has applied afresh to the Rajasthan Assembly secretariat seeking resumption of his pension as a former MLA, the officials said.
The secretariat has initiated the process, and the pension will be applicable from the date his resignation as the vice-president was accepted, they said.
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The pension for a former MLA in Rajasthan starts at Rs 35,000 per month for a single term, and goes up with additional terms and age. Those above 70 receive a 20 per cent hike.
Dhankhar, now 74, is entitled to Rs 42,000 pension per month as a former legislator, the officials said.
Meanwhile, officials said Dhankhar is entitled to three pensions — as a former vice-president, ex-MP, and former member of the Rajasthan Assembly.
While there no pension benefits for Dhankhar as the ex-governor of West Bengal, he can avail one secretarial staff for a monthly reimbursement of Rs 25,000 as a former governor.
As a one-term MP, he is entitled to Rs 45,000 per month as pension, besides other benefits.
As the former vice-president, Dhankhar is entitled for a pension of nearly Rs 2 lakh per month, a Type-8 bungalow, one personal secretary, one additional personal secretary, one personal assistant, one physician, one nursing officer and four personal attendants.
In the case of a former vice-president’s death, his or her spouse is entitled to a smaller Type-7 house.
In a surprise move, Dhankhar stepped down as the vice-president on July 21, the opening day of the Monsoon session, citing health grounds.
The move triggered speculation, with the Congress saying it was “totally unexpected” and there was “far more to it than what met the eye”.
The Congress claimed there were “far deeper reasons” for Dhankhar’s resignation than the health reasons cited by him, saying his resignation spoke highly of him but poorly of those who got him elected to the post.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that Dhankhar chaired a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha at 12.30 pm on July 21.
“It was attended by most members, including Leader of the House J P Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. After some discussions, the BAC decided to meet again at 4:30 pm,” Ramesh said.
When the BAC reassembled, it waited for Nadda and Rijiju to arrive but they never came, Ramesh said.
“Dhankhar was not personally informed that the two senior ministers were not attending the meeting. So, something very serious happened between 1 pm and 4:30 pm to account for the deliberate absence of Nadda and Rijiju,” Ramesh said.
Nadda later said the vice-president’s office was informed that he and Rijiju would not attend the BAC meeting convened by Dhankhar shortly before he resigned from the post.
While Dhankhar cited health issues as the ground for his resignation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she believed the former governor’s condition was “absolutely fine”.
In a cryptic remark, the Trinamool Congress chief hinted that there could be more to the development than what met the eye.
“Let us watch. He is a healthy man. I think his health is absolutely fine,” she said.
Some sources also said that Dhankhar accepting an Opposition-backed move to remove Justice Yashwant Verma after the recovery of massive cash from his Delhi residence in March may have triggered the chain of events that led to his sudden resignation.
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