New Delhi: Late Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta Jaitley wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday, declining the due pension.
In the letter, Sangeeta Jaitley has also asked that the pension due to be offered to Class IV Rajya Sabha staff. Arun Jaitley’s family stated former finance minister’s “philanthropist past” as the ground for refusing the pension amount.
As per the Salary and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, a former MP is entitled to a minimum pension of Rs 20,000 per month and an additional pension of Rs 1,500 per month for every year served as a member of either Houses for a period exceeding five years.
Arun Jaitley who was a member of Rajya Sabha since 1999, entitled him an additional Rs 22,500 per month, bringing to a total amount of Rs 50,000 per month.
Family pension to spouse or dependent of a deceased member or ex-MP is equivalent to 50 per cent of the pension otherwise admissible to such deceased member/ex-MP. Which means the Jaitley family would have received approximately Rs 25,000 per month or Rs 3 lakh per annum.
Arun Jaitley passed away on August 24 at Delhi’s All Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after prolonged illness.
