474 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Shri H. V. Kamath : I move, Sir,
“That in clause (3) of article 4X, the words the President shall have an official residence and ‘he deleted.”
That is to say, the clause will read thus, if the amendment is accepted.
“There shall be paid to the President such emoluments and allowances, etc. etc………”
In moving this amendment, Sir, I seek a little light from Dr. Ambedkar.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Which amendment ?
Shri H. V. Kamath : Amendment No. 1135. My purpose in moving this amendment before the House is to request Dr. Ambedkar to throw a little light upon the necessity for incorporating such an insignificant, such a minor detail in our Constitution....
- The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Mr. Vice-President, Sir, I regret I cannot accept the amendments which have been moved. Professor Shah’s amendment No. 1138 seems to be somewhat superfluous. It provides that the President shall be given Secretariat assistance. There is no doubt about it that it will be done whether there is any provision in the Constitution or not.
With regard to his second amendment No. 1140 prescribing that a pension be given to the President on his retirement, I find that while I am agreeable to the sentiment that he has expressed that persons who serve the public by becoming members of Parliament undergo a great deal of personal sacrifice and that it is desirable that they should not be left unprovided for towards the end of their lives, it seems rather difficult to accept this particular armendment also. According to him, every person who becomes President and serves his term of office, which is 5 years, shall, at the end of 5 years, be entitled lo a pension. The second difficulty is that according to his amendment his pension shall not be altered during his life-time. Now supposing for instance one person who has been a President and has filled his full terms of years and has obtained a pension under the amendment of Professor Shah, suppose that he is again elected to be the President, what is the position ? The position is that he continues to get his salary as the President in addition to that he will also be entitled to his pension.
*CAD, Vol. VII, 27th December 1948, pp. 1044-46.