Curbs on salary will become imperative if government employees refuse to cooperate with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s call for a Salary Challenge, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said.
Dr. Isaac told reporters here on Thursday that disbursal of the salary for March had commenced as scheduled, but things may go awry in April if employees stonewalled the call for the Salary Challenge. Priority is being accorded to distributing the salary of health workers. Arrears due for various sections will be cleared as planned, but employees should compulsorily cooperate with the Salary Challenge.
A contribution at their will would not suffice, he said and clarified that his observation was based on previous experiences.
Unlike Maharashtra and Telangana, which are revenue surplus States, Kerala has not imposed any cut in salary. But in the current situation when the State’s revenue collection has dwindled, it will have to impose curbs if employees do not voluntarily contribute a month’s salary.
On modalities
As done earlier during floods, the employees could donate the salary in one tranche or could split it into 12 instalments, he said.
All prime revenue sources, including the sale of lottery tickets, motor vehicle tax, excise duty, stamp duty, have dried up.
Since a grace period has been accorded for remitting various taxes, the government would not earn any revenue in April. The sale of food products does not yield any returns as they do not figure in the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax. Never before had the State faced such a grave crisis.
Moreover, the government would have to support labourers in traditional industries sector and many others who have been deprived of their livelihood and income following the lockdown.
