Employees of major ports, shipping PSUs donate a day's salary totalling Rs 7 cr to PM-CARES Fund

Nearly 30,000 employees of the country's major ports and shipping PSUs have contributed a day's salary totalling over Rs 7 crore to the PM-CARES Fund to support the fight against COVID-19, the government said on Monday.

India has 12 major ports -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V.O. Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

"Employees of all the major ports and PSUs (public sector undertakings) under the Ministry of Shipping have come forward to donate a day's salary amounting to Rs 7 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, for providing assistance to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic," the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement.

These ports and entities have about 30,000 employees, with the highest 6,324 employees with the Mumbai Port Trust, who contributed Rs 1.27 crore; followed by 3,891 employees with Chennai Port Trust who contributed Rs 0.72 crore; 3,700 employees with Kolkata Port Trust who contributed Rs 1 crore; and Rs 3,177 crore contributed by Vishakhapatnam Port Trust's employees.

Apart from employees' contribution, these ports and entities have also contributed Rs 52 crore to the PM-CARES Fund to fight the pandemic.

Among the major ports, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust contributed the highest Rs 16.40 crore from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the PM-CARES Fund, followed by Rs 8 crore each by Deendayal Port Trust and Paradip Port Trust, and Rs 4 crore each by Kamarjar Port and New Mangalore Port Trust.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust gave Rs 2 crore to the Fund for fight against COVID-19, while Vishakhapatnam Port Trust, Kolkata Port Trust and Mumbai Port Trust contributed Rs 1 crore each to the Fund.

Among others, Cochin Port Trust contributed Rs 0.54 crore, Chennai Port Trust Rs 0.50 crore and Mormagao Port Trust Rs 0.25 crore.

The death toll due to novel coronavirus in the country rose to 109 and the number of cases climbed to 4,067 on Monday, according to the Union health ministry.