Salary cut begins

With the unprecedented situation caused due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the economy is bound to be badly affected in the days to come. The first indication came on Monday when the Union Cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance amending the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to reduce allowances and pension by 30 per cent with effect from April 1, for a year. Simultaneously, the President, Vice President, and Governors have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility. The money will go to the ‘Consolidated Fund of India’. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also approved a move to suspend the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years (2020-21 and 2021-22); and this amount too will go to the Consolidated Fund of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Ministers and all Members of Parliament will also go for a 30% salary cut for the next one year, signalling a long road to recovery from the unprecedented economic blow caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though there has been some criticism about the decision, especially of suspending the MPLADS, it is a fact that the country’s economy has already been severely hit because of the pandemic. Factories barring those producing power, medicine, petroleum products and a few essential commodities are all practically shut. Business has suffered, and so have farmers who constitute the backbone of India’s rural economy. A few private companies have also announced salary reduction. The country will take time to recover. Till then everybody will have to make some sacrifice.

Also Read: Union Cabinet: 30% salary cut for MPs; MPLADS suspended

Also Watch: Hagrama Mohilary organizes a press-meet on Coronavirus situation and distribution of Rations