Punjab CM urges Centre to reconsider decision on full wages to workers amid lockdown

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged the Centre to reconsider its directives asking industries, shops and commercial establishments to continue paying full wages to their workers during COVID-19 lockdown as this may push them to bankruptcy.

The Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister Modi seeking reconsideration of the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Highlighting the order, Singh said: "This needs reconsideration as this will have huge financial implications for the industry as well as shops and commercial establishments in the State and may push them to bankruptcy as the income of most of these units has completely stopped due to lockdown."

On the other hand, Chief Minister Singh said that the workers, especially the low-paid ones, could be deprived of their income for no fault of theirs.

"Chief Minister Singh has urged the Central government to look for innovative solutions to protect the interests of the workers, in these difficult times, without causing irreparable damage to the industry or commercial establishments, etc.," said an official statement.

Pointing out that the state government had written separately to the Union Labour Ministry on the issue, Chief Minister Singh has urged Prime Minister Modi to advise them to take early action in this regard.