Kerala HC to hear tomorrow plea challenging ordinance on salary deferment

Kerala High Court will hear on Tuesday a petition challenging the ordinance brought by the state government to defer the salaries of government employees for six months in view of the coronavirus crisis.

A group of different orgsations including NGO Association, SETO, NGO Sangh, Kerala Vydyuthi Mazdoor Sangh, and AHSTA have approached Kerala High Court against the ordinance.

"With this ordinance, the government can defer 25 percent salary of the employees without their consent. So, this ordinance is unconstitutional. We seek to stay the procedure to defer the salary of employees at the base of the ordinance," the petition said.

The plea said that the ordinance was framed in a hurry without complying with the High Court order, which had cancelled the government's order to defer the salary.

The ordinance was brought after Kerala High Court stayed for two months, an order of the state government which deferred six days' salary of all state government employees for a period of six months in view of the financial burden caused by the coronavirus crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )