Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi only Rajya Sabha MP not taking salary and allowances

Guwahati: Ranjan Gogoi, the former Chief Justice of India, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP-led government in March, is the only member in the Upper House who does not take salary or allowances. Instead, Gogoi opts to continue to avail of the retirement benefits which are being paid to him as a former CJI.

This revelation came to light after the Rajya Sabha Secretariat responded to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by India Today. Talking to the publication, Gogoi revealed this his monthly pension as a retired CJI is Rs. 82,301.

Upon being contacted, the former CJI forwarded a letter he had written to the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, dated 24 March 2020. "Please note that I am not availing of the benefit of the salary and allowances (except travelling allowances and accommodation) which I would otherwise be entitled to as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Instead, I opt to continue to avail of the retirement benefits which are being paid to me as a former Chief Justice of India," he had written.

The former CJI was nominated to the Rajya Sabha as a member of eminence in March 2020.

Responding to a query on the amount spent on paying the salaries of its MPs, the Rajya Sabha said, "As per the record available in this branch, salary and allowances (Constituency Allowance and Office Expense Allowance) were paid to 226 Member of the Rajya Sabha in the Month of July 2020, which amounts to Rs 2,99,18,000."

This revelation has been made amid floating rumours that the former Chief Justice could become the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate for the Assembly polls in 2021.

The Rajya Sabha further said that two embers of the Upper House -- Manoj Jha and Rakesh Sinha -- only draw their allowances.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that as many as 506 Ex-MPs of Rajya Sabha have been sanctioned Parliamentary pension by the Secretariat.

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