Kashmir
Monitor: Srinagar: Thursday, 28 January 2016.
The late
Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s Advisor Prof. Amitabh Mattoo has sought
an RTI to find out what has happened to the money that the government had
sanctioned to him as allowances from exchequer.
Apparently
Matoo who recently claimed worked for a token salary of just Re.1 during his
5-month stint as an advisor to the late Mufti Sayeed. As an advisor with the
rank of a Cabinet Minister, Mattoo was entitled for various government
allowances.
As per the
documents accessed by The Kashmir Monitor which includes Matoo’s salary slip
(under Government order No.1133-GAD of 2015, dated 21.08.2015), the Advisor was
entitled to a monthly salary of Rs.40,000 along with Sumptuary and
Constituency/Conveyance allowances of Rs.20,000 and Rs.25,000 per month
respectively under the Jammu and Kashmir Members, Ministers and deputy
Ministers and Allowances Amendment Act no. X of 2011.
“If the
allowances have been released in my favour then there should be an RTI enquiry
to find out where that money went,” Prof. Mattoo told Kashmir Monitor.
Earlier a
request was made by the Prof Mattoo to revise his Salary to Re 1 a month
following with an official government order under letter
No.GAD/S-1/2015-16/293-94 dated 30.11.2015 was issued that mentions that the
advisor to the CM will claim a token salary of Re.1 only.
The above
mentioned and another letter under No.GAD/Salary Slip/2015-16/251-53 dated
24-09-2015 mentions that the CM’s advisor must receive Sumptuary and
Conveyance/Constituency allowances as per the rules.
Meanwhile
Mattoo has claimed that he hasn’t accepted the Travelling Allowances (TA) or
Sumptuary Allowances ever from the government.
He told The
Kashmir Monitor that it should be confirmed where the allowances have been
released. “Even during my visit to New Delhi or Mumbai I spent my own money for
my expenses. I didn’t stay in the state’s guest house and had everything
including coffee, food from my own money,” he said.
Matoo told
The Kashmir Monitor that he didn’t spend the state’s money for his expenses
during his five month stint as an advisor.
“It was my
personal decision and should not be taken as a political one. I didn’t need the
salary as I have earned enough back in Australia which I utilized here. I used
to take Rs.1 as salary during my five month service as advisor to the late
chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed Sahab. I did not appoint anyone as PRO so
I don’t have any knowledge about allowances if released,” he said.
Mattoo was
appointed Advisor to late Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister last year in the
month of August.
Born in
Srinagar, Mattoo has been the Chief Executive Officer and inaugural Director of
the Australia India Institute and Professor of International Relations at the
University of Melbourne in Australia.