COVID-19: HP, Assam Cabinets Cut 30% Salaries of CM, MPs, MLAs

The decisions came a day after the Union cabinet moved to cut 30 per cent salary of all parliamentarians for a year.

(Photo: PTI)

Taking a cue from the Centre, Himachal Pradesh and Assam governments on Tuesday, 7 April, decided to deduct 30 percent salaries of state chief minister, ministers and MLAs for a year and the funds accrued will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and the management of the outbreak.

The decisions came a day after Union cabinet moved to cut 30 percent salary of all parliamentarians for a year, and were taken at meetings of the states' cabinet and Council of Ministers respectively.

Himachal Pradesh

In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur through video conferencing on 7 April, the state cabinet decided to deduct 30 percent salaries and honorarium of all Members of Legislative Assembly, including the chief minister, Vidhan Sabha speaker, deputy speaker and ministers for one year. It has also been decided to suspend the Vidhayak Kshetra Vikas Nidhi Yojna for two years, the spokesperson said.

The state cabinet also decided to deduct 30 percent salaries of chairmen and vice chairmen of various boards, corporations and all political appointees for one year. The chief minister also hailed the decision of the Union government to deduct 30 percent salaries of the prime minister, MPs and central ministers.

On World Health Day, the cabinet also expressed gratitude to the frontline coronavirus warriors, like doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitary workers and police, for their dedicated services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cabinet also paid tribute to two Army personnel from the state-paratrooper Bal Krishan of Kullu's Puyed village and Subedar Sanjeev Kumar of Bilaspur's Dehra village who, with three other soldiers, had fallen to the bullets of militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Assam

The decision was taken at a meeting of Assam's Council of Ministers.

"The meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to deduct 30 per cent of the salary of the chief minister and other members of the State Council of Ministers and the MLAs for a period of one year," the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.

“The state government would not pass any directives regarding lockdown and the central government directives on lockdown would continue keeping social distancing norms intact,” it added.

Besides MPs, the prime minister and Union minister, the President, the Vice President and governors of states have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility.