I&PRD Bulletin
Thiruvananthapuram, April 22: Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced that all elected representatives in the State - Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, members of different Boards under the Government and members of Local Self Government bodies would take a 30% cut in their monthly salary and honorarium for a period of one year.
“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the economic sector at the national and state level as well but we are not going back on welfare schemes. Kerala has been hit badly and we are a consumer state. The State is going through a fiscal crisis as the tax collection revenue has fallen drastically and remittances from expatriates have also stopped since the outbreak of Coronavirus. Expenses for healthcare services and food safety are unavoidable. In this scenario, we need to mop up additional resources within the State. It’s a matter of relief that people across all sections of our society have contributed to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF)”, said the Chief Minister.
The CM also informed that government employees and their associated organisations have expressed their willingness to contribute one month’s salary to CMDRF. The Cabinet meeting held today decided that a part of the salary of all government employees would be kept apart for this. Accordingly, the salary for six days every month would be deducted for the next five months. This would be applicable to employees of all State-owned Enterprises, Public Sector Undertakings, Quasi-Government organisations, Universities, etc in the State. However, those earning less than Rs. 20,000 a month would be exempted.
State to Give Impetus to Polutry Farming, Fish Farming and Animal Husbandry
Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced that the state would give an impetus to poultry farming, fish farming and animal husbandry to increase self-sufficiency in these sectors. The State would seek NABARD’s help in implementing these schemes. Cooperative societies would cater to additional loans to expand the production in these sectors.
The Chief Minister said the capacity of poultry farming would be increase to give 75 lakhs additional egg production. The Kerala Chicken project would be spread across the State to increase egg and chicken meat availability and 200 new outlets would be opened.
With increase milk production, the State would set up a new milk powder plant and an ultra pasteurisation plant for UHT milk production. The state would also explore the production of new value-added products from milk apart from cheese and yoghurt.
The CM also called for the modernisation of the fisheries sector. Big reservoirs, dams, ponds and freshwater lakes would be used for fish farming. The government also plans to explore fish farming at sea using the latest technology and modern methods. The idea is to increase the production of fresh water prawns, saltwater prawns, mussels, prom fret, kingfish, etc.
Minister of Health & Social Justice, Smt K K Shailaja; Revenue Minister, Shri E Chandrasekharan, and Chief Secretary, Shri Tom Jose IAS were also present during the media briefing.
Covid-19 Tracker
Thiruvananthapuram, April 22: Kerala reported 11 new cases of Covid-19 today, seven from Kannur district, two in Kasargod district, and one each from Kottayam and Malappuram districts. Five of them have come back from overseas and three have got the infection through primary contact. One person is a health worker and two are house surgeons at Kozhikode Medical College who had travelled to Kerala by train.
Meanwhile, one patient from Palakkad district was cured of the disease as the rest result came negative.
Till date, 437 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Kerala and 127 patients are presently under treatment in different hospitals across the State.
Continuing the trend in the past few days, the total number of people under surveillance in the State has come down to 29,150. Out of these, 28,804 persons are under observation at their homes and 346 are quarantined in hospitals. 95persons were hospitalised today.
A total of 20,821 samples have been sent for testing so far and 19,998 samples have been confirmed with no infection.
Addressing the media, Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The Kerala Government welcomes the Central Government Ordinance to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. Hope this would deter the violence against doctors and frontline health workers during this pandemic time.”
The CM also added that Kannur district continues to have the maximum number of Coronavirus patients in the State today also. The enforcement of the lockdown with heightened checking would continue in the district.
He also informed that full-time ASHA workers who are at the forefront of Covid prevention activities would get an honorarium and fixed incentive from March to May, 2020. Apart from this, an additional Covid incentive of Rs.1,000 would be paid to them. 26,475 ASHA workers in the State would benefit from this decision.
