CM's call to donate month's salary gets good response

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's appeal to people to contribute a month's salary in the wake of the flood disaster has elicited a good response.

Governor P. Sathasivam said on Monday that the appeal was reasonable.

"As the first citizen of the state, I have decided to do it and will hand over the cheque to the Chief Secretary," said Sathasivam, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

He had contributed Rs 1 lakh earlier to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. On Monday, he handed over a cheque for Rs 250,000 as the balance amount towards his contribution of one month's salary.

Vijayan's appeal, made through Asianet TV channel, on Sunday has gone viral on the social media.

He has suggested that those interested in contributing a month's salary can do it over a period of 10 months.

Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad said: "I had already handed over Rs 1 lakh when the CM made his call asking everyone to contribute. Now, heeding to his call to hand over a month's salary, I will do it when I get my next month's salary."

Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra told the media that he would pay his one month's salary in one instalment.

"I have got numerous calls from my colleagues who too have promised to contribute one month's salary. Kerala will bounce back very quickly," said Behra.

Senior Congress legislator and former Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said he had also decided to hand over his one month's salary too.

"But the state government should ensure that they stop all extravagance," he said.

Mohammed Hanish, a senior bureaucrat who heads the Kochi Metro, also promised to donate a month's salary. Many other officials and Ministers have also made the pledge.

The social media has welcomed Vijayan's call.

Ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala on May 29, a total of 417 people have died. The flood fury this month has caused unprecedented destruction and forced more than one million people to take shelter in relief camps.

--IANS

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