An employee who was working in the Finance Department of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram was transferred to another department after he voiced out his inconvenience at donating his one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). KS Anil Raj, a sections officer and a member of the pro-LDF Secretariat Employees Association, was later reinstated to the Finance Department after he took to Facebook to apolgise for his action and also by saying that he would donate his salary.
Following the devastating floods that hit the state in August, the Kerala Government had come out with various measures to gain funds for the rehabilitation process and one of the initiatives were to request all government employees in the state to donate their one month’s salary to the CMDRF.
According to a report by The New Indian Express (TNIE), Anil Raj had earlier posted in his Finance Department WhatsApp group that his wife, who is a government employee will be donating one month’s salary to the distress relief fund, but due to various financial restraints he will not be able to do the same.
As per reports, he had also requested his colleagues to not ridicule those who cannot donate their salary. “Because most of us have extended some or the other form of support to the flood victims, so don’t make this a tug of war between the rich and poor,” he had said in the group.
Anil Raj, who was transferred to the National Savings Scheme office on Thursday had earlier donated Rs 5,000 to the CMDRF and along with his children, he was reported to have volunteered at a relief material collection centre.
The Kerala Government’s ‘salary challenge’ has received heavy criticism from various section of the employees. Many of the pro-UDF organisations lead by the opposition leader had protested against this challenge.
Earlier, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had said that the people who do not wish to contribute are the ones who are protesting. He had said that all those who are not willing to contribute, submit a letter in writing.