Maharashtra: Up To 60% Pay Cuts For Ministers, Officers Over COVID-19

Mumbai: Salaries of ministers, other elected representatives as well as government officials in Maharashtra for March will be slashed by up to 60 per cent in view of the economic impact of coronavirus lockdown, it was announced on Tuesday. The pay cut will exclude those involved in essential services.

A resolution issued later said that the remaining salary would be paid at a later point.

Elected representatives including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, ministers and MLAs will get their salaries for March with 60 per cent deduction, Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced.

A and B grade government employees will get their salaries with 50 percent deduction while C grade employees will get salaries with 25 percent cut.

There will be no cut in the salaries of D grade employees.

Mr Pawar, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said the decision was taken after consultation with Mr Thackeray and employee unions.

"The state's economy has been affected by the coronavirus crisis and reduction in resources due to ongoing lockdown," Mr Pawar said.

A resolution issued by the finance department said the salary for March, which is paid in April, will be paid in "two instalments" and the balance will be paid later.

The remaining amount will be paid later when the situation improves, a government official said when asked for clarification.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, all private establishments, industrial units are closed, which has reduced the state's revenues, the resolution said.

The salary cut will also apply to semi-government organisations and aided educational institutions including universities, the notice added.

Maharashtra saw the biggest jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, registering 72 new patients, 59 of them in Mumbai alone, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state to 302, a health official said.