From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 7: The State Government’s move to mobilise funds for talking the global Corona Virus (COVID 19) epidemic by going for a 30 per cent cut in the salaries of all the six lakh State Government employees as also employees of the State-run boards and corporations has been strongly opposed by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shiva Kumar.

Addressing the media at the party office on Tuesday, the newly appointed KPCC President, who is yet to formally take charge of his new post, said Karnataka’s fiscal position was no so pathetic as to forcibly cut the salaries of the government employees.

“The six lac government employees have to feed their family members, and have other commitments such as repaying loans, payment of school/college fee, house rent. Hence, it was not a viable option to cut salaries of employees,’’ he said.

The former minister urged the B S Yediyurappa government to stop all development work if required and ensure monthly payment of salaries.

The Congress leader was responding to a query on the proposed government’s plan to cut salary of its employees following slowdown in revenue collection and shortage of cash during the lockdown period.

With several social media platforms spreading fake news and blaming some community members for spread of the COVID-19, KPCC has urged the government to arrest all those indulged in “communal politics” by spreading rumours during the lockdown.

The State Congress has termed the performance of the BJP government in handling of the COVID-19 as “unsatisfactory” and “facilities for testing the patients are fall short of the requirement.’’

He pointed out that even the available facilities in health centres and hospitals have not been effectively used.

The government must take steps for providing necessary testing and other medical equipment for each districts. Steps to be taken to ensure that testing expenses should not exceed Rs 4500, Shivakumar said.

Supporting some of the initiatives taken by the State Government, the Congress leader urged the government to bear expenses of testing expenses of people who tested positive in private laboratories.

He said sufficient ventilators must be made available and utilize them by roping in available anesthetists.

The KPCC has also demanded that the State Government must include borewell drilling work in the list of Essential Services to mitigate the drinking water crisis in villages in this summer.

Several parts of the state have been facing a severe shortage of potable water, especially in rural areas, he said and demanded the government to take up the work of drilling borewells on a war footing measure.

Shivakumar urged the government to call a meeting of owners of rigging machines for initiating work on drilling of borewells.

The workers of borwell drillers to be provided benefits under the social security schemes.

“This work may be temporarily listed as “essential services,’’ he said.