Serving India as the 14th President of India, Ram Nath Kovind bids adieu to the post and Rashtrapati Bhavan, as he make way for the country’s first tribal President Droupadi Murmu.
A day before his tenure ends on 25th July 2022, Ram Nath Kovind also host a dinner for President-elect Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union council of ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
What life awaits Ram Nath Kovind after his Presidential tenure?
What benefits and perks will he continue to get after retirement?
Bungalow
As per the rules, a former President is allocate a type-8 bungalow.
The Directorate of Estates (DoE) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs is mandate to administer and manage the Estates of the Government of India that include government residential accommodations and other properties across the country.
The allotment of central government bungalows is done through the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Act.
A type-8 bungalow typically has 7 rooms with quarters for domestic help.
The Centre has allot 12 Janpath, a palatial bungalow in the heart of New Delhi to outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind.
Massive renovation has carried out ahead of the shifting under the supervision of Kovind’s daughter.
This bungalow was earlier occupied by Bihar leader and former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan for more than two decades.
After him, his son Chirag Paswan occupied it, but evicted it in late March.
It was later allot to Railway Minister Ashwini Vashnaw, but he move into another accommodation as Chirag Paswan did not vacate the house.
Post retirement, Ram Nath Kovind, who enjoy the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan spread across 200,000 square feet, will become the new neighbour of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who lives at 10 Janpath.
Sonia Gandhi has living in this spacious Lutyens zone government bungalow for close to three decades.
The 10, Janpath bungalow was allocate in the name of Sonia Gandhi on 22th May 1991.
In 2017, when then President Pranab Mukherjee made way for Ram Nath Kovind, he was allot 10, Rajaji Marg in Lutyens’ Delhi, the residence of former President APJ Abdul Kalam till his death.
Pension
Currently, earning a salary of Rs 5 lakh per month, outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind will receive a pension of Rs 1.5 lakh per month after retirement.
This amount is decide by the President’s Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 2008.
Before the 2008 amendment, the pension amount was Rs 50,000.
Some Other Benefits
As per the President’s Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 2008, the outgoing President is also entitle to one private secretary, an additional private secretary, one personal assistant and two peons.
Ram Nath Kovind is also entitle to office expenses amounting to Rs 60,000 per annum.
As former President, Ram Nath Kovind will also be given two landlines, mobile phone, broadband and internet connection.
Ram Nath Kovind’s wife, Savita Kovind, will also be given Rs 30,000 as secretarial support per month.
Apart from this, Ram Nath Kovind will also not have to pay for electricity and water.
Ram Nath Kovind, who rode in a bulletproof Mercedes during his tenure, will also have a car and a driver.
President Ram Nath Kovind will also get free medical treatment for the rest of his life post retirement.
Ram Nath Kovind can also avail free first class rail tickets and flight tickets for travel for the rest of his life.
Ram Nath Kovind, who was guard by the President’s Bodyguards and the National Security Guard (NSG), will also be provide the security of Delhi Police.
Droupadi Murmu has taken oath as the 15th President of India at the Central Hall of Parliament.
She became the first tribal President of India.
Droupadi Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177.
A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on 18th July 2022.
