In view of the COVID19 outbreak and its adverse impact on India’s economy, all the MPs including the Union Cabinet will take a salary cut of 30 per cent for a year.
This was informed by Union minister Prakash Javadekar while addressing a press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on Monday.
“The Union Cabinet has approved the ordinance amending the salary, allowances and pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to reduce allowances and pension by 30% from April 1 for a year,” said Javadekar.
“The President, Vice President and Governors of State have voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility. The money will go to Consolidated Fund of India,” said Union minister Javadekar.
Javadekar said the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also suspended the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years in order to manage the financial burden of the pandemic.
“A sum of Rs 7,900 crore from the scheme will now go to the Consolidated Fund of India,” Javadekar added.
The government is monitoring the global Coronavirus (COVID) situation every minute, said Javadekar.
When asked about the ongoing nationwide lockdown, Javadekar said decisions have been taken in the interests of the people and the nation.
During the interaction between the Prime Minister Modi and the the Central ministers via video conferencing, the PM appreciated the leadership of the ministers and said that the continuous feedback provided by them has been effective in strategizing for tackling COVID19.
He said it is imperative that the leaders communicate exhaustively with the state and district administration, especially in the districts which are hotspots for the pandemic, to be apprised of the ground situation and also provide solutions to the emerging problems.
It is also important to ensure there is no crowding at PDS centres, maintain effective monitoring, take action on complaints and prevent black marketing and rise in prices of essentials, he said.
The PM said that welfare of farmers is of high importance. He also said that the government would provide all possible help to farmers in the harvesting season.
In this regard, he suggested harnessing technology and encouraging exploration of innovative solutions like using ‘truck aggregators’ to connect farmers with mandis, on the lines of app based cab services.
He also underlined the need to devise a strategy to ensure procurement of tribal products so that the source of income source of the indigenous tribal populace remains intact.