Chandigarh, April 16: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, along with all Cabinet and junior ministers in his government, would be donating their three months of salary to the CM COVID-19 Relief Fund, said a statement issued by the state government on Thursday. The measure is aimed at boosting the state's financial resources in the fight against coronavirus. COVID-19 Live Tracker: Map The Spread of Coronavirus in All States of India.

The government has also appealed its employees in the state to take voluntary pay cut. The state expects those section of the workforce, who are financially stable, to be steadfast in agreeing to a wage reduction till the situation improves. COVID-19: States Want CSR to Qualify For CM Relief Funds Apart From PM-CARES, Ask Centre to Notify Eligibility.

 

"As Punjab stares at Rs. 22000 crore revenue losses in Financial Year 2020, all state Ministers decide voluntarily to donate 3 months salary to CM COVID-19 Relief Fund. Chief Secretary appeals govt employees to take voluntary cuts in wages," said a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office.

The austerity tightening measures are necessitated as Punjab - already acutely widened fiscal deficit - is staring at a massive financial strain for months to come. According to CM Amarinder, the crisis due to coronavirus would peak around September and infect nearly 58 percent of the population.

In Punjab, which currently has recorded lower number of cases compared to Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and other severely hit provinces, a total of 213 cases were confirmed so far. The numbers include 13 deaths and 27 recoveries. Across India, the toll of COVID-19 cases surged to 12,759, whereas, the death count has accelerated to 420.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2020 08:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).