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UP ministers to take salary cuts; pledge funds for covid care
A formal decision on salary cuts of ministers, possibly lawmakers too, could be decided at the meeting of the state cabinet on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh ministers would take salary cuts, even as many ministers and lawmakers announced to pledge their entire Rs 30 million (Rs 3 crore) local area development fund to the newly set-up ‘Covid-19 Care Fund’ in the state.
A formal decision on salary cuts of ministers, possibly lawmakers too, could be decided at the meeting of the state cabinet on Wednesday.
The lawmakers, who were entitled to spend Rs 20 million (Rs 2 crore) from their development fund each year, will from now get to spend Rs 30 million to spend each year, a decision that was taken by the government in February.
It’s still not clear if, like the centre, which has already suspended the MP local area development fund (MPLAD) fund for two years, the state government too would come up with a similar move.
Eight ministers, including MSME minister Siddharth Nath Singh, minorities welfare minister Nand Gopal Nandi, law minister Brajesh Pathak, panchayati raj minister Bhupendra Chowdhary, minister of state for Haj and Waqf Mohsin Raza, minister of state for electronics and information technology Ajit Singh Pal, minister of state for urban development Mahesh Chandra Gupta and minister of state Atul Garg announced pledging their entire MLA fund for covid care.
More like Jal Shakti minister Mahendra Singh, who have already announced pledging their Rs 1 crore from their local area development fund, could announce more from their funds, a minister said.
He added that many of them like, state’s deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had along with contributing from their fund and going for salary cuts, are also funding community kitchens.
“We will do whatever it takes to defeat the pandemic. As public representatives we all should so whatever we can,” the ministers said.
On Tuesday, UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak, who is also an MLC, had announced donating his entire local area development fund for two years. He had also been the first lawmaker to announce 30 per cent salary cut for a year.
After the union cabinet decided that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire team of ministers would take 30 per cent salary cuts, UP governor Anandiben Patel too had announced a similar move.
UP BJP lawmaker from Noida Pankaj Singh has announced that he would donate four months’ salary to covid care, the only lawmaker in the state to have made such announcement.
More lawmakers joined the campaign with UP BJP general secretary and MLC Vidyasagar Sonker, Somendra Tomer also announced donating Rs 10 million (Rs 1 crore) from their fund. “The party is firmly backing the government in taking whatever steps it needs to take to fight the pandemic. We have sought contribution and support from all, including opposition parties and others,” UP BJP media in-charge Manish Dixit said.
BSP chief Mayawati has already asked her party MPs to donate Rs 10 million for covid care, a decision that came in for praise from chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The Samajwadi Party as well as the Congress as well as BJP’s ally Apna Dal too has announced contributions to the covid fund.
