PM salutes AAI employees for raising Rs 20 cr for COVID-19 relief fund

Employees of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have raised Rs 20 crore as an initial contribution for the PM CARES Fund to fight the menace of coronavirus (COVID-19). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday saluted the AAI employees for their professionalism.

"AAI employees raised Rs 20 crore as an initial contribution to the #PMCARES Funds to fight the menace of COVID1-9. Collectively, as responsible citizens of this country, we shall make all efforts to protect, empower and help effected communities to tide over this emergency," the AAI tweeted.

The airport authority also donated Rs 15 crore from its CSR funds to the PM Cares Fund to deal with the challenges arising out of the unprecedented coronavirus crisis.

"The COVID-19 India crisis is one of the toughest challenges we are facing. The AAI has decided to donate Rs 15 crore from its CSR Fund to the PM-CARES Fund to meet this challenge before the nation. At this moment, contributing to such a collective fund is the need of the hour #AAICares," it said in another tweet.

Responding to this, Prime Minister took to the Twitter to express his gratitude.

"Our airport staff has been out there, working round the clock in tough circumstances. I salute their professionalism and their noteworthy gesture of contributing to PM-CARES. #IndiaFightsCorona," he wrote.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, at 10 am on March 29 the total COVID-19 positive cases in the country rose to 979.