ERNAKULAM: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that financial difficulty cannot be a ground for deferring or cutting salaries of government employees, staying the state's move to do so.
With revenues shrinking because of the lockdown, in place since 25 March, states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, as well as the central government, have announced pay cuts.
The court order could have a bearing on them as well. The state government had told the court that since ₹5,000 crore was spent to battle covid-19 in March, and as the lockdown has led to a severe financial crisis, paying full salaries will be quite difficult.