THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Thursday announced the govt will set aside its employee salaries to the extent of six-days and begin remitting the remaining portions from 4 May.
The minister announced the plan to media today on obtaining Governor’s consent for the ordinance that allows govt to retain up to 25 percent of employee salaries, in the face of ongoing crisis.
It is not true that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan never discussed the pay-cut. At instance of the Opposition, the salary-challenge plan was dropped. That’s all. The Opposition’s present remarks are empty claims, the minister said.
The salaries of judges shall be left untouched. The perks would likely stand reduced however. The salary software, developed to incorporate the changed structure, was customized in that fashion, the minister said.
The government, in 6-month period, will decide on the mode of paying back the currently withheld sums. These amounts are now being transferred to Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, the minister said.
