CHANDIGARH: It has been more than forty-one days since Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced that he along with his cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and MLAs of the ruling Congress party would donate one month's salary each to help the flood-hit people of Kerala but it seems that the state government has forgotten to send the same.
Sources pointed out that the Kerala government is still waiting for that money to reach them. While a few Congress legislators have sent their one month's salary cheques to the party office in the state assembly but they are lying in a cupboard in the office only. It is learnt that the one month's salary of the Punjab CM, cabinet ministers and the rest more than 50 ruling party MLAs approximately comes to Rs 70 lakh.
A cabinet minister under anonymity said that a form was sent to him which he filled and sent it back but he was not asked to fill any cheque regarding his one month salary. He said that he had got his salary but till date has not sent any cheque as no one demanded the same from him.
On August 19, it was announced that all MPs and MLAs of the Punjab Congress, led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, will donate their one-month salary to support the Kerala flood relief measures. The decision followed a directive from AICC president Rahul Gandhi to all Congress members of Parliament and members of Legislative Assemblies across the country to give a month's salary each to help Kerala.
Amarinder had then announced his decision to immediately donate his one-month salary to ensure speedy relief. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Jakhar then told party workers to ensure the money reached the Kerala authorities over the next two-three days.
The decision to donate a month's salary came a day after Amarinder announced Rs 10 crore in aid for the flood-ravaged state. While Rs 5 crore was transferred to the Kerala CM's Relief Fund, the remaining was sent in the form of ready-to-eat food and other essential supplies. The State Government has already dispatched four plane loads of 150 MTs of relief material for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people of Kerala.
A few days back, the officials of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau contributed a day's salary to help the people of the flood-ravaged state. ADGP-cum-Chief Director Vigilance Bureau B K Uppal handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to CM Amarinder.