The Maharashtra government will have to borrow funds to pay salaries to its staffers from next month owing to a severe funding crunch, State minister for Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar, said on Thursday.
“The situation is such that we will have to borrow money to pay salaries of State government employees next month. While we will not delay or deduct salaries of those fighting on the frontlines in the crisis, other employees may have to face a delay in getting payment,” Wadettiwar said at a press conference, as quoted by Hindustan Times .
The State minister was in Pune to chair a meeting of SARTHI (Shahu Research and Training Institute), a non-profit set up by the government for research and socio-economic activities for the welfare and training of students from the Maratha community.
Wadettiwar had said that the State is facing a severe lack of funds owing to the lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic, while explaining why there had been a delay in releasing stipends to SARTHI students,
He also said that the State had not received any funds from the Centre to assist with the situation. “If someone is saying otherwise, he is betraying the State,” he said, as quoted by Hindustan Times .
Wadettiwar added that the State’s Covid-19 response has been receiving sufficient funds. It has also been allocating enough funds to Pune-based SARTHI, he said.