The Left government in Kerala is seeking to raise around Rs 2500 crores for Covid-19 relief operations from contributions made by government employees. The government has urged employees to donate one month’s salary. The state has rolled out this request as Salary Challenge.
The cabinet meeting approved Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recommendation to introduce the salary challenge to meet the challenges of Covid-19.During 2018 megafloods, the chief minister made a similar appeal and collected around Rs 2000 crores through voluntary donations made by government staff.
Around 5.9 lakh government employees participated in the challenge. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan donated Rs 1 lakh as salary challenge and all cabinet ministers and their staff voluntarily joined by donating their one month salary.
But Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state President K Surendran objected government’s move to cut April month’s salary from government employees on the ground that such mandatory salary cuts would lead to financial stress.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan revealed that state financial situation was moving from bad to worst and hard decisions need to be taken to tide over the financial crisis during Covid-19.
“Kerala is passing through a most challenging period while fighting the pandemic. We are using all our resources to save our people. Thousands of medical professionals are working round-the-clock risking their lives to save the people who are infected. I appeal to all to donate one month’s salary to CM Disaster Relief Fund to support government initiatives,” the chief minister appealed.
