Kerala Cabinet nod for ‘salary challenge’ for govt. employees

Initiative to collect a month’s pay to fight COVID-19

02/04/2020, SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Cleaning drive: Fire service personnel spraying disinfectant at the Thiruvananthapuram Sub Treasury.S. MAHINSHA

The Kerala Cabinet has given the go ahead to the ‘salary challenge’ for State government employees.

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to collect one month’s salary from government employees compulsorily to meet the financial burden incurred by the spread of COVID-19. The funds would be routed to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Ministers would contribute ₹1 lakh each to the fund.

A final decision on the mode of implementing the ‘salary challenge’ would be made after eliciting the response of the employees, sources said.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) flayed the “unilateral” decision of the Cabinet. “The Chief Minister counsels people to be spartan during the lockdown,” said leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. “He wants to confiscate the salary of government staff but he has no qualms in sanctioning ₹2 crore at this juncture to hire a helicopter for VIP travel. There is a dichotomy between what this government sermonises and what it practices.”