No perks, accommodation facilities for former J&K CMs as Centre removes law

In a major development, the Government has scrapped a legal provision of providing rent-free accommodation and other facilities to former chief ministers of Jammu & Kashmir.

According to wire agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Centre has repealed section 3-C of the State Legislature Members’ Pension Act, 1984 under which former CMs of J&K were entitled to different privileges and perks.

Under the law, former CMs were entitled to rent-free furnished accommodation, expenditure to the limit of ₹35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to the value of ₹48,000 per annum, free electricity to the extent of ₹1,500 per month, car, petrol, medical facilities, and a driver among others.

They were also entitled to one personnel assistant, one special assistant and two peons.

The Section 3(C) of the law has been removed by the Centre read: “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, a member who is entitled to a pension under this Act and who has served as Chief Minister of the State, shall be entitled to a car, petrol, medical facilities, driver, rent-free furnished accommodation, expenditure to the limit of ₹35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to the value of ₹48,000 per annum, free electricity to the extent of ₹1500 per month.”

The law has been deleted through Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act that was brought after the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave autonomous rights to the people of J&K.

The move comes months after J&K Law Commission had recommended repeal of the legal provisions providing facilities to former CMs, saying these provisions "violate the constitutional principles of equality" and are “arbitrary and not in consonance with any scheme or law.”

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