Coronavirus: Maharashtra legislators to take 60% pay-cut; similar cuts for govt staff

Keeping in mind impact of Coronavirus pandemic on Maharashtra's ecomy, state government anunced its decision to slash 60 percent salary of legislators and local body members for month of March. This decision by Uddhav Thackeray-led government comes at a time when  entire nation withdraws into a three-week-long lockdown owing to COVID-19 virus. This 60 percent pay-cut would affect all top-level public representatives in state, including MLAs, MLCs and  Chief Minister as well. 

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decision for a pay-cut was anunced by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also handles Finance Ministry of state. In an official statement, Ajit Pawar anunced that re would be a 50 percent salary deduction of Class A & B employees, a 25 percent salary deduction for Class C employees and salary deduction of class D employees. He also added that decision had been taken after a detailed deliberation with Chief Minister as well as various employee unions. 

" salaries of Class I and II will be cut by 50 per cent while that of Class III employees will be cut by 25 per cent. re will be cut in salaries of remaining classes in state bureaucracy," he said.

Read: COVID-19: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Speaks Frontline Pune & Mumbai Hospital Staff

Maharashtra seeks special pack

This also comes shortly after Maharashtra government demanded a special pack from central government mentioning ecomic hardships faced by  state due to Coronavirus. Ajit Pawar in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Prakash Javadekar sought a special Rs 25,000 crore pack to tackle crisis. 

" Industry, trade, and service sectors have come to a halt after central government anunced a three-weeks national lockdown due to Coronavirus. state income had risen sharply in last month of financial year, however, due to Coronavirus and lockdown, income has almost stopped this year," said Ajit Pawar asking Centre for financial aid. 

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(With ncy Inputs)