NATGRID CEO Raghu Raman's Salary More Than That of Any Bureaucrat
New Delhi: The CEO of a government's ambitious project, which will be the single point source of all data gathered by more than a dozen agencies, draws a salary of Rs 10 lakh per month besides other entitlements of top officers.
Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh told Rajya Sabha that the monthly consolidated remuneration of CEO of NATGRID Raghu Raman is Rs 10 lakh besides a host of other facilities.
Giving details of the Raman's package, Singh said in a written reply that the CEO is given a car as per the highest entitlement for officers in Government of India.
The CEO is given travel, accommodation and TA/DA as per the highest entitled class for officers in the government and medical policy for self and family whose annual premium is capped at Rs 15,000.
"(He is) entitled to deliver lectures not pertaining to his official domain and receive remuneration for the same. With prior approval of competent authority (Union Home Secretary), he can be a member of Corporate Boards which are not in conflict with his official position," he said.
To deal with functional requirements, CEO NATGRID is also provided with a BlackBerry phone with actual connectivity charges (capped at Rs 8,000 per month). The CEO will be given a laptop with aircard (capped at Rs 1.25 lakh) and Rs 2,000 per month as internet charges.
Raman was appointed as CEO on December 1, 2009, on a contractual basis. The contract was extended on June 1, 2011 for three years. He is a retired military officer who was working as CEO of Mahindra Defence Land System and his appointment and salary were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.