Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has said that it will not force the state government employees to contribute one month's salary to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). The change of strategy was prompted by legal obstacles and accusations of a lack of propriety in demanding large contributions to a voluntary fund.
The law doesn't allow compulsory deduction of donations from salary or pensions.
Despite this, the government will not abandon its plea for contribution of a month's salary and will exert pressure through service organisations associated with the ruling front.
When the floods struck in mid-August, Kerala was revving up for the Onam season and the government had announced that two days' salary will be deducted from the accounts of every state employee.
But owing to the festival season the salaries were disbursed earlier and very few deductions could be made.
The state has also demanded that all those who drew the festival allowance must return it.
Along with this the state has also announced that the employees are free to decide how much they want to donate and can inform the salary drawing officers accordingly. Those who haven't already paid two days' salary can do that and those who wish to donate more can pool in.
The finance department is also mulling over offering an instalment option for the employees to donate money to the CMDRF.
