Staring at revenue loss due to the curfew clamped to check the coronavirus outbreak, the Punjab government on Thursday urged its employees to take voluntary salary cut even as state ministers decided to donate their three months' salary to the CM's relief fund.
The appeal to the employees was made after a meeting of the finance sub-committee, headed by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
A government statement said with all Punjab ministers deciding not to take their salary for the next three months, an appeal was made to all government employees to take voluntary cuts in wages to help the state meet the unprecedented contingency.
At the meeting, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said the state was expected to earn at least Rs 22,000 crore less than its estimates for the current fiscal.
Against the estimated revenue receipts of Rs 88,000, the state will be able to generate only Rs 66,000 crore in the light of the curfew/lockdown, which has brought all business to a standstill, the minister said.
Badal said with the GST collections to stay much lower in the current fiscal and the Centre yet to clear the state arrears, things will continue to worsen in the coming months.
After the meeting, all ministers voluntarily decided to donate their next three months' salary to the CM's relief fund, the release said.
Later, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh issued an appeal asking all government employees to contribute to the fight against coronavirus.
The chief secretary suggested that Grade A and B employees should contribute 30 per cent of their salary while Grade C and D staff can take 20 per cent and 10 per cent cut for April, May and June.
At the meeting, several measures to mop up revenue in the prevailing situation were also discussed as the financial crunch is likely to continue for a couple of quarters, the release said.
The chief minister urged the committee members to look at innovative measures to tackle the crisis.
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