Coronavirus outbreak: Maharashtra government employees to get salary for March in two instalments

Staring at a drastic drop in the revenue receipts of outgoing fiscal 2019-20, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the deferment of a part of the March

Staring at a drastic drop in the revenue receipts of outgoing fiscal 2019-20, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the deferment of a part of the March salary of elected representatives and government employees.

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The elected representatives, from the chief minister (CM) to the gram panchayat members, will get 40% of their March salary, while the government employees will get 50% to 75% in the first installment. The remaining part of the March salary will be released later in the next financial year, the government has clarified.

The decision has been taken in the wake of the drastic drop in revenue receipts and huge amounts spent on unforeseen expenditure while combating the Covid-19 outbreak.

Class A and B officers, ranging from the rank of secretaries to desk officers, will get 50% of their March salaries, while the clerical staff in Category C will get 75% of the salary. There is no deduction initiated for Class D employees, comprising peons and office assistants, deputy CM and finance minister Ajit Pawar said after his meeting with all the unions representing state government employees.

After Pawar’s announcement, chief secretary Ajoy Mehta issued a circular stating that the March salary will be released in two phases.

“A separate circular will be issued announcing the release of the remaining part of the salary,” it read.

The state government is expected to save ₹5,000 crore by deferring the payment and utilising the amount for the settlement of the balance sheet in a bid to make-up for the drop in the revenue receipts, in form of taxes and duties, due to the lockdown.

There are more than 15 lakh state employees, drawing an estimated annual salary of ₹1.15 lakh crore for financial year 2019-20.

GD Kulthe, chief consultant, Maharashtra Gazetted Officers’ Federation, said, “We have agreed to the deferment of a part of the salaries in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. The delayed payment will help the government to adjust its bills during the closure of the financial year 2019-20. The government has assured us that the salary deduction will be restored within the next couple of months.”

However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Kirit Somaiya, Ashish Shelar and Nitesh Rane have criticised the state government for not excluding health workers and police from the decision.

CM Uddhav Thackeray later in the evening clarified that the government would try releasing the second instalment of the salary of employees who have been fighting Covid-19 from front-line at the earliest.

A day ago, Pawar had demanded the Centre to release a package of ₹25,000 crore to the state in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, which has badly hit the state economy. He also has demanded that dues of ₹16,654 crore with the Centre towards the devolution of central taxes and aid be released before March 31.

All major political parties have already declared to donate the salary of their legislators to the relief funds.