Thane & Aurangabad: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik on Friday urged the Maharashtra government to double the salaries of the medical staff, who have been providing treatment to COVID-19 patients.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Thane city legislator said that the Harayana government has already implemented it. Risking their own lives, doctors, nurses and other medical staff are selflessly carrying out their work of treating the coronavirus patients. Their work needs to be appreciated and hence their salaries should be doubled, he said in the letter.
"Likewise, every police personnel, who is serving selflessly during this period, should be given an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh," he added. "If the government wants, it can deduct the salaries of legislators up to 50 per cent from the present 30 per cent, so that the money is diverted towards those serving the society," Sarnaik said.
The Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday decided to cut the salaries of MLAs and MLCs by 30 per cent from this month till March next year in view of the state's economy bearing the brunt of the crisis. Meanwhile, Maharashtra NCP MLC Satish Chavan on Friday demanded that the state government double the salaries of frontline staff fighting the outbreak. In a letter to state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the MLC said such incentives were being provided by Haryana.
