NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, MAY 1
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday hinted at salary cut for government employees, saying they have to be ready to ”make sacrifices’’ as the state’s revenues dwindle due to the ongoing lockdown to contain the COVID-19 spread.
#புதுச்சேரி கடுமையான நிதி நெருக்கடி இருந்தாலும் ஏப்ரல் மாதம் முழுமையாக சம்பளத்தை இனி வரும் காலங்களில் அரசு வருமானத்தை பெருக்க முடியாவிட்டால் என்றாலும் , கொரோனாவால் பாதிக்கபட்டால் அரசு ஊழியர்கள் சில தியாகங்களை செய்ய தயாராக இருக்க வேண்டும். pic.twitter.com/Eg5VCX0zOr
— V.Narayanasamy (@VNarayanasami) May 1, 2020
Speaking to reporters here, he said the government had paid the employees’ salaries in full for the months of March and April. He, however, said “they (government employees) should be prepared to make some sacrifices so that the government could tide over the current fiscal crisis and implement welfare schemes during the current lockdown.
“Narayanasamy said revenue to the exchequer had fallen due to closure of business establishments and liquor outlets in view of the lockdown. He also pointed out that some states had resorted to pay cuts for government staff. The chief minister also launched a web portal for people of Puducherry who went abroad and to other states and were stranded due to the lockdown. Such people can register at https://welcomeback.py.gov.in/ for the governments to make arrangements for their return.
Meanwhile, the Centre announced that a “limited” lockdown, including suspension of inter-state travel, air and train services, will continue to remain in force for another two weeks throughout the country from May 4 but some activities would be allowed after classifying areas into Red, Orange and Green zones.
One more tests positive for COVID-19, tally rises to four
Meanwhile, a 51-year-old man from Mahe, an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala, tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, taking the total number of infections in the union territory into four.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said that during a door-to-door survey in the region, the health team found the resident to be positive for the disease.
The patient had returned from a gulf country and details of the date of his return could not be known immediately. He has been admitted to the Government General Hospital in Mahe, the official said.
A release from JIPMER said that two people who had accompanied the 64-year-old woman, a cancer patient from Cuddalore district admitted for COVID 19 treatment on Thursday, have also tested positive for the infection and been isolated.
The number of active cases in JIPMER is now three and they are all from Tamil Nadu, the release added.
