Defence Ministry staff to contribute one day’s salary to PM-CARES fund

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for the contribution of one day’s salary by employees of the Defence Ministry to the PM-CARES Fund.

The PM-CARES Fund was set up a day earlier on Saturday and contributions from corporate houses, industrialists and Bollywood actors started pouring in immediately in an all out effort to fight the deadly Covid-19 disease. The prime minister is the chairman of the new public charitable trust and its members include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

According to a ministry estimate, around Rs 500 crore will be collectively given by the Defence Ministry to the relief fund from various wings, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, a number of defence PSUs and others.

The contribution of the employees, however, will be voluntary and if any ministry employee wants to opt out, he or she will be exempted.

The country’s largest paramilitary force, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also decided to donate one day’s salary to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund in order to help the Centre fight the Covid-19 outbreak. Over 3.5 lakh personnel have contributed to the relief fund by donating their salary.

According to a CRPF statement, “It is submitted that CRPF personnel have decided to make a humble contribution of one day’s salary to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. We are dutifully committed to stand firmly with our nation in this challenging time of Covid-19 pandemic.”

Earlier this week, defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited was given the task of manufacturing ventilators while premier defence research laboratory DRDO is producing protective gears for medical staff and supplying hand sanitizers and face masks to various agencies involved in the care of Covid-19 patients.

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