THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The chief minister’s salary challenge to employees to rebuild Kerala has virtually turned into a tug-of-war between the pro-CPM and pro-Cong unions. With the last date to express their dissent over deducting one-month salary ending on Saturday, both the unions have come out with conflicting claims. Finance minister T M Thomas Isaac said those who have stayed away from contributing their one-month salary will be given a chance again. “They can contribute their next month’s salary. But they will have to give a formal letter,” said Isaac.However, the pro-UDF NGO Association maintained that a majority of employees were not happy with the way the order was issued.“The exact data on the number of employees who have agreed to take up the ‘challenge’ will be known within two days. From the information received from each district, over 60% of the employees have given their dissent letter. They have agreed to pay if the government is willing to revise the order,” said N K Benny, state president of NGO Association. The pro-UDF unions have protested against the condition that those who are unwilling to contribute should give the government a refusal letter. They have also warned against any kind of action taken against the employees who have given the dissent letter.The pro-CPM NGO Union has claimed that 85% of the government employees have agreed to contribute their onemonth salary to the chief minister’s distress relief fund.

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