In a move that surprised all, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday resigned from his position, citing health issues. With this, Dhankhar became only the third Vice President after VV Giri and R Venkataraman to retire mid-term.
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," Dhankhar said in his resignation letter to the President.
So, will V-P Dhankhar get the retirement perks after resigning mid-term?
If a Vice President retires after serving for two years, then he/ she will get pension and other facilities that are offered. So yes, Dhankhar will get the retirement perks.
What retirement benefits will V-P Dhankhar get?
- According to the rules, a retired Vice President shall be paid Rs 60,000 towards the actual charges incurred by him on account of office expenses.
- He/ she shall also be entitled to the use of a telephone at his residence as admissible to a Member of Parliament as provided under the Housing and Telephone Facilities (Members of Parliament) Rules, 1956.
- The retired Vice President shall also be allotted a Type-VIII bungalow.
- A retired Vice President shall be entitled "without payment of rent to the use of a furnished residence at the station of his choice, any where in India, without payment of water and electricity charges for the remainder of his life."
- He/ she shall also be entitled to secretarial staff consisting of a private secretary, an additional private secretary, a personal assistant and two peons.
"Provided the charges payable to the secretarial staff shall not exceed the pay and allowances admissible to the corresponding posts in the Government of India. The secretarial staff shall be drawn from outside the Government of India/State including any Public Sector Undertaking," the rules say.
- He/ she shall also travel anywhere in India for free, and "by the highest class, by air, rail or steamer, accompanied by spouse or a companion or relative."
V-P Dhankhar begins packing his belongings
After resigning from his position mid-term, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has started packing his belongings from the Vice President's Enclave in New Delhi, according to a report by news agency PTI.
74-year-old had shifted to the newly-constructed Vice President Enclave on Church Road near the Parliament House complex - which was built under the Central Vista redevelopment plan - in April last year. He stayed at the Vice President's Enclave for nearly 15 months.
"He (Dhankhar) will be offered a Type VIII bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi or another area," PTI quoted an Urban Development Ministry official as saying.
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