‘No one will be forced to donate month’s salary’

Softening his stance on the salary challenge issue, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said no person will be forced to donate their salary to CMDRF.

KOTTAYAM: Softening his stance on the salary challenge issue, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said no person will be forced to donate their salary to CMDRF. At the same time, all Keralites must think about voluntarily donating a month’s salary to the fund, said Isaac. He was speaking at a programme organised to collect flood relief fund at Ettumanoor near here on Thursday.

Isaac said the controversy over donating one month’s salary must be avoided. “A major flood occurred in Kerala back in 1924. History reveals that state employees had then contributed their one month salary of `750 to the relief activities,” he said.

“No act of vengeance will be taken against anybody with regard to the salary challenge issue. We are not in a position to think about such things,” he said. He also appreciated the efforts of Kumarakom grama panchayat, which contributed `10 lakh to the relief fund despite the flood ravaging the panchayat a month ago.

Isaac said the state govt has already sought Centre’s permission to avail of `22,000 core loan from World Bank for rebuilding Kerala. “We have also sought permission from the Centre for repaying the loan by implementing additional taxation,” he said.

Isaac also promised to look into the allegation that undeserved persons have gained the benefit of immediate financial aid, being provided to the flood victims by the govt.

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