Kochi: The Kerala High Court has forwarded a letter to the state government seeking to exclude judges from salary cut amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

The government has decided to defer 6 days’ wage from the salary of all government employees for 5 months from April as a part of raising funds for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

On Wednesday, the cabinet had approved an ordinance to implement the salary cut. 

According to reports, the High Court registrar general sent the letter to the financial secretary on Monday. 

“The judges have constitutional rights. Hence, they should be excluded from the salary cut,” reads the letter. However, the letter does not mention anything about salary cuts for other employees in the HC.

Earlier, service organizations had approached the High Court against the salary cut. Following this, the court on Tuesday had stayed the government order for the salary cut observing that it lacked legal backing. 

But the government on Wednesday decided to issue an ordinance empowering it to deduct salaries of its employees to mobilize funds to fight COVID-19 in the state. Amidst this, the letter of the High Court has come to light.