A Surya Prakash, the chairman of Prasar Bharati gets a salary hike

NEW DELHI: A Surya Prakash, the Chairman of Prasar Bharati (PB), has got a fat hike from the government and could now possibly takehome Rs 1 lakh a month. This takes the monthly earning of Prakash – a government appointee who is from the Vivekananda Foundation – almost on par with that of Prasar Bharti CEO Jawhar Sircar with whom the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) shares an uneasy relationship.

"It would be more appropriate for the government to speak on the reasons for this notification," Prakash told ET on Tuesday. Government sources said unlike his predecessors, Prakash will now get paid for attending office – PB chairpersons used to be paid only per meetings – and that would help him exercise more control over the organisation.

The notification regarding Prakash says he will be paid an allowance of Rs 10,000 per day subject to the overall monthly ceiling of Rs 1 lakh per month, for those days in a month when he is required to "perform any official work or duty" in the discharge of his functions as Chairman of Prasar Bharati, including attending meetings. The order comes into effect with retrospective effect – since Prakash’s appointment last October 29.

This is an amendment made now to the Prasar Bharati Rules, 2000. As per earlier rules, the Chairperson of Prasar Bharati got only a meeting allowance of Rs 1,000 per meeting, subject to a maximum ofRs 5,000 per month. The Chairperson of Prasar Bharati gets no salary and no official vehicle. Now, an official vehicle has also been provided to Prakash.