New Delhi: Barely two months before former chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha, his brother Air Marshal (Retd) Anjan Kumar Gogoi was named as a member of the North Eastern Council (NEC) by the Government of India.
The retired officer’s appointment to the NEC, a statutory advisory body to the central government for the socio-economic development of eight states in the Northeastern region, is for three years.
With the former CJI’s nomination to the Upper House creating a row over propriety, here is a look at the benefits that Anjan Kumar Gogoi, a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Atishi Vishisht Seva Medal, will enjoy as an NEC member.
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North Eastern Council members and benefits to them
According to a 2015 PIB notification, members of the North Eastern Council receive the same salary, dearness allowance and perquisites as a secretary in the Government of India does. NEC Secretariat Deputy Secretary L. Beimpoha confirmed this to ThePrint.
A secretary in the Government of India earns Rs 2.25 lakh a month, excluding perquisites, which are employee benefits including various types of non-wage compensation in addition to their normal wages or salaries, according to the 7th Central Pay Commission. The secretaries also earn a dearness allowance, a calculation on inflation and allowance paid to government employees, and are also given a house or house rent allowance.
Speaking to ThePrint, Beimopha said there are a total of three members in the NEC. One of them is an ex officio member, who is also the secretary in the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The post is currently held by Indrajeet Singh. The other two are nominated members — Professor Biman Kumar Dutta, who was nominated to the NEC in 2018 for three years, and Anjan Kumar Gogoi.
The post of secretary in the NEC — currently being served by K. Moses Chalai — is equivalent to an additional secretary in the Government of India, Beimopha said. According to the 7th Central Pay Commission, an additional secretary earns anything between Rs 1.8 lakh and Rs 2.2 lakh per month, excluding HRA, dearness allowance and perquisites.
What is NEC?
The North Eastern Council was formed in 1972 under the NEC Act, 1971, to take care of the economic and social planning of eight Northeastern states as well as to provide mediation in the event of inter-state disputes. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, which entered the council in 2002, are part of the NEC.
According to the 1971 Act, governors and chief ministers of the states would be members of the NEC. However, the Act was amended in 2002 to lay down that the President would nominate three members and the chairman of the council.
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