Kerala govt to issue ordinance for cutting salary of its staff for COVID-19 battle

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to issue an ordinance allowing it to deduct salaries of its employees to mobilise funds to fight COVID-19 in the state. The move comes a day after the High Court had stayed an order of the Left government for salary cut of its employees, observing that it lacked legal backing. Announcing the cabinet decision, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac told reporters that as per the ordinance, the state government has been empowered to defer 25 per cent of the salary of its employees in the event of a disaster.