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Govt sends Venkatachalaiah's demands up for approval

A 'chastened' government has sent to the Union cabinet for quick approval the demand of Justice M N Venkatachelliah, chairman of the National Commission for Reviewing the Constitution, to reconsider the perquisites of his job.

"Yes, it is true that Justice Venkatachelliah has sought restoration of the same privileges that he enjoyed as chief justice of India and chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. I think the Union Cabinet is likely to give its nod to his demand," a senior official of the Union law ministry said.

The official said that even as Justice Venkatachelliah wanted the perquisites of the CJI and NHRC chairman to go with his present job, he had also made it clear that he would draw no salary, instead working on a honorary basis for the "token salary of rupee one a month".

He said the chairman had sought the use of a chauffeur-driven car with unlimited fuel, furnished air-conditioned accommodation plus executive class air travel within the country and air-conditioned first class travel by train with his spouse.

According to the government resolution setting up the Constitution review commission, "the chairperson shall be paid a consolidated honorarium of Rs 30,000 a month. His or her pension, if any, shall be deductible from the honorarium, in case he or she is a government pensioner. The chairperson shall be entitled to government accommodation for residence of the type permissible to a public servant drawing a pay of Rs 30,000 per month."

It is learnt that Justice Venkatachaliah lost his cool on seeing the facilities that the government was providing. He made his displeasure obvious, telling the government that he would only begin his ponderous task once he was given privileges at par with the chief justice of India and the National Human Rights Commission chairman.

Other government sources said that if Justice Venkatachaliah gets what he has asked for, the government will spend Rs 250,000 a month on him alone. This calculation has been arrived at relying the expenses incurred on the CJI and the HRC chairman following the fifth pay commission recommendations of January 1, 1996.

They confirmed that Justice Venkatachalaiah's dissatisfaction caused Union law minister Ram Jethmalani sent a note to the Union cabinet, asking that Venkatachalaiah's demands be met quickly if the review was to get going.

According to the Union law ministry official, the other members review commission will not be paid any salary but "a daily allowance of Rs 1000 while on duty".

The official underscored that the commission would meet a minimum of at least five times and a maximum of 10 times every month. The resolution appointing the commission says:

"The chairperson of the commission shall be his own controlling officer for the purpose of travelling allowance.

"The chairperson shall also be the controlling officer for the purpose of travelling allowance in respect of members and secretary.

"The chairperson and members shall be allowed travelling allowance at the rates and as per rules applicable to government servants of the highest grade.

"The secretary to the commission shall be entitled to travelling allowance at the rates applicable to a public servant drawing a pay of Rs 25,000 per month, and if he or she is a serving public servant, he will draw travelling allowance as per his entitlement as such public servant."

The law ministry sources indicated that if Justice Venkatachaliah's demands on service conditions are met and accordingly revised, the other panel members too are likely to see their service conditions "upgraded".

They confirmed that Justice Venkatachaliah had rejected the government's move to set up the commission headquarters at a distant location. He wanted it housed in suitable quarters close to "the central vistas" so that the chairman and the members can have easy access to the Parliament library, the law ministry in the Shastri Bhavan and the Supreme Court.

They pointed out that search for the suitable quarters is already on and that one area identified was the Research and Reference division of the government, on the seventh floor of Shastri Bhavan. However, nothing had been finalised, the sources said.

They said a deputy secretary, B P Singh, too has been inducted today into the commission. Singh is a well-qualified law officer. He is a PhD (Maths), an MBA and an LLB. He is known as a "research-oriented person" who belongs to the Indian Law Service.

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