Thumbs up for salary challenge

From Governor to govt staff, many pledge support

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s call to all salary-earners to contribute at least a month’s salary to the reconstruction of flood-ravaged lives and regions of the State has evoked a huge response with persons ranging from Governor P. Sathasivam to the employees of the Secretariat volunteering to do so.

The Governor handed over a cheque for ₹2.50 lakh to Chief Secretary Tom Jose as the balance amount towards his contribution of one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). He had donated ₹1 lakh to the relief fund on August 14. The Governor also appealed to people holding high offices in Kerala to contribute one month’s salary towards rebuilding Kerala.

The Ministers and MLAs across the spectrum had already announced their decision to contribute a month’s salary to the relief fund. Administrative Reforms Commission chairman and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan declared that he would contribute a months’ salary to the fund. On Monday, several Civil Services officers, including Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) P.H. Kurien and General Education Secretary A. Shajahan; State Police Chief Loknath Behera; Directors General of Police A. Hemachandran and Rishi Raj Singh; and several top police officers announced that they would respond positively to the Chief Minister’s call.

Staff of the Chief Minister’s office and the offices of various Ministers also came up with the decision to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

From the Secretariat, the Kerala Secretariat Employees Association, representing the bulk of the Secretariat staff, said the Association would see to it that as many Secretariat employees as possible contributed a month’s salary to the relief fund. Among the various departments, the Social Justice Department under Health Minister K.K. Shylaja was the first to come up with a collective offer as sought by the Chief Minister.

₹714 crore in CMDRF

Contributions to the CMDRF touched ₹713.92 crore, a statement here said. The CM’s office received cheques and drafts of ₹20 crore on Monday.

The statement said 3.91 lakh people had donated amounts online so far.