(1) This Act may be called the Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of the Government Chief Whip and the Deputy Government Chief Whip Act, 1999.

(2) It shall come into force on the 1st day of August, 1999.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires

(a) Deputy Government Chief Whip means a Member of Legislative Assembly so designated by the Chief Minister of Mizoram on the recommendation of the Government Chief Whip to perform the duties of the Deputy Government Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly;

(b) Family in relation to the Deputy Government Chief Whip means

(i) his wife or her husband, as the case may be;

(ii) the children, step children and widowed daughters wholly dependent upon such Deputy Government Chief Whip; and

(iii) the parents, minor brother, handicapped adult brother, unmarried sister and widowed sister wholly dependent upon such Deputy Government Chief Whip;

(c) Government means the State Government of Mizoram;

(d) Government Chief Whip means the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs ex-officio;

(e) Governor means the Governor of Mizoram;

(f) Legislative Assembly means the Legislative Assembly of the State of Mizoram;

(g) Schedule means the Schedule to this Act;

(h) Travelling Allowance means the allowances payable to the Deputy Government Chief Whip under this Act to cover the expenses which he incurs in travelling in the interest of public service.

There shall be a Deputy Government Chief Whip as defined in clause (a) of Section 2, who shall have the rank and status of a Minister of State under the Minister Act, 1999.

(1) The Government Chief Whip shall not be entitled to any other salaries and allowances than that he/she is entitled to as a Minister under the Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of Minister Act, 1999;

(2) The Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be paid a salary of ten thousand rupees per mensem.

There shall be paid to the Deputy Government Chief Whip, a Sumptuary allowance of four thousand five hundred rupees per mensem, a Family allowance of three thousand rupees per mensem and an Entertainment allowance of three thousand rupees per mensem.

The Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be entitled to a duly maintained, free and furnished residence throughout his term of office and for a period of fifteen days following the expiry of his/her tenure as the Deputy Government Chief Whip; and so long as such residence is not provided for his occupation, he shall be entitled to a hired residence for which rental charges shall not be more than seven thousand rupees per mensem.

EXPLANATION: For the purpose of this Section

maintenance in relation to a residence includes

(i) free supply of electricity and water;

(ii) free telephone calls;

(iii) a Deputy Government Chief Whip who occupies his own house shall be entitled to maintenance as if he occupies Government quarters;

(iv) payment of local rates and taxes.

Provided that the Government Chief Whip and the Deputy Government Chief Whip who are not provided with Government Quarters/Bungalow shall be entitled to receive such sum of rupees as may be fixed by the Government from time to time for furnishing their residences.

The Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be entitled to free use of a motor vehicle, entire cost of maintenance along with the services of a chauffeur, which shall be borne by the Government.

Subject to the provisions of the Schedule to this Act, the Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be entitled to all such Travelling facilities and allowances including Daily allowances as a Minister of State of Mizoram is entitled.

The Deputy Government Chief Whip and the members of his/her family shall be entitled to free of charge accommodation in any hospital either maintained or recognised by the Government and also to medical treatment in accordance with the Medical Attendance Rules for the time being in force in the State and applicable to the highest ranking Officer of the Government.

No person in receipt of a salary or allowances under this Act shall be entitled to receive any sum out of the funds provided by the Legislative Assembly by way of salary or allowances in respect of his/her membership in the Legislative Assembly.

The date on which any member of the Legislative Assembly becomes or ceases to be the Government Chief Whip or Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be notified in the Mizoram Gazette and any such Notification shall be the conclusive evidence of the fact that he/she has become or ceased to become the Government Chief Whip or the Deputy Government Chief Whip, as the case may be, on and from that date for all purposes of this Act.

No Member of the Legislative Assembly shall be disqualified for being chosen as or for being a Member of the Legislative Assembly merely by reason of the fact that he/she holds the office of the Government Chief Whip or the Deputy Government Chief Whip.

The Deputy Government Chief Whip shall be entitled to Grade IV staff of his choice as Household staff as are entitled to Minister of State of Mizoram throughout his/her term of office.

(1) The Mizoram Salaries and Allowances of the Government Chief Whip and the Deputy Government Chief Whip Act, 1995, shall stand repealed with effect from the date of commencement of this Act.

(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the Act so repealed shall, in so far as it is not inconsistent with the provision of this Act, be deemed to have been done or taken under this Act.