The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Puducherry) Act, 1964

THE SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES OF MINISTERS (PUDUCHERRY) ACT, 1964

(No. 14 of 1964)

(1) This Act may be called the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Puducherry) Act, 1964, (2) It shall come into force at once.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires – (a) “Act” means the Government of Union territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963); (b) “advance” means a repayable advance made to a Minister for the purchase of motor-car, or on account of travelling or daily allowance; (c) “family” means a Minister’s wife residing with him and legitimate children and step-children residing with and wholly dependent on him. Not more than one wife is included in a family for the purposes of this Act. If the Minister is a married woman, “family” will include her husband residing with her; (d) “Minister” means a Minister appointed under sub-section (1) of section 45 of the Act and includes the Chief Minister and a Deputy Minister; (e) “travelling allowance” means allowance granted to Minister to cover the expenses which he incurs in travelling in the interest of public service as against travelling in personal interest or for private purpose, such as journeys for rest or recoupment of health or for attending party meetings or for election campaign; (f) “Government” means the Administrator of the Union territory of Puducherry appointed under article 239 of the Constitution.

Each Minister shall be entitled without any payment to the use and maintenance of a furnished residence throughout his term of office and for a period of fifteen days immediately thereafter, and so long as such residence is not provided, there shall be paid a compensatory allowance or rupees five hundred per month in the case of a Minister other than a Deputy Minister and rupees four hundred per month in the case of a Deputy Minister. Explanation. – For the purposes of this section, “residence” includes the staff quarters and other buildings appurtenant thereto, and the garden thereof, and ‘maintenance’ in relation to a residence includes provisions of electricity and water to the extent of two thousand five hundred rupees per mensem to each Minister and also payment of local rates and taxes.

Each Minister shall be entitled to : - (a) (i) the free use of a motor-car, the cost of maintenance of which shall be borne by the Minister; (ii) the services of a chauffeur; and (iii) Petrol for the car up to a maximum of sixty litres per mensem, the cost of which shall be borne by the Government; or; (b) a conveyance allowance of rupees seven hundred per month, if he uses his own vehicle; or (c) the free use of a motor-car, the entire cost of maintenance and propulsion of which shall be borne by the Government subject to the following conditions, namely:- (i) no conveyance allowance shall be admissible; (ii) for journeys on tour, only daily allowance shall be admissible according to normal rules and no mileage allowance shall be admissible; (iii) in respect of journeys which do not qualify for travelling allowance within 8 kilometres from the headquarters, a limit of 600 kilometres per month of 1,800 kilometres per quarter will apply and beyond these limits, charges at the rates prescribed under the Staff Car Rules shall be payable to the Government; (iv) charges at the rates mentioned above shall also be payable in respect of private journeys performed by the vehicle beyond 8 kilometres from headquarters; and (v) a long book shall be maintained for journeys referred to in sub-clauses (iii) and (iv) to facilitate payments to Government. Explanation. – For the purposes of clause (a) “maintenance” shall include the cost of petrol and oil, servicing, repairs below Rs. 25 and other incidental charges, but shall not include expenditure on insurance and fees for registration and Municipal taxes.

There may be paid to a Minister by way of repayable advance such sum of money, and subject to such conditions, as may be determined by rules made in this behalf, for the purchase of a motor-car, in order that he may be able to discharge conveniently and efficiently the duties of his office.

(1) Subject to the provisions of the Schedule to the Act, a Minister shall be entitled to --- (a) travelling allowances for himself and the members of his family and for the transport of his and his family’s effects : - (i) in respect of the journey to Puducherry from his usual place of residence outside Puducherry for assuming office; and (ii) in respect of the journey from Puducherry to his usual place of residence outside Puducherry on relinquishing office; and (b) travelling and daily allowances in respect of tours undertaken by him in the discharge of his official duties, whether by land, sea or air. (2) Any travelling allowance under this section may be paid in cash or free official transport provided in lieu thereof.

A Minister and the members of his family shall be entitled free of charge to accommodation in hospitals maintained by the Government and also to medical treatment in accordance with the Medical Attendance Rules, as amended from time to time, applicable to Class I Officers serving in connection with the administration of the Union territory of Puducherry.

No person in receipt of a salary or allowance under this Act shall be entitled to receive any sum out of funds provided by the Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of Puducherry by way of salary or allowance in respect of his membership of such Assembly except to the extent specifically provided by and under this Act.

The date on which any person became or ceased to be a Minister shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Union territory of Puducherry, and any such notification shall be conclusive evidence of the fact that he became, or ceased to be, a Minister on that date for all the purposes of this Act.

(1) The Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette of the Union territory of Puducherry, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. (2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made, before the Assembly while it is in session for a total period of not less than fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the sessions aforesaid, the Assembly makes any modifications in the rule, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.