The Union Cabinet of India has approved to amend the ordinance towards reducing the pay for the Central Ministers and MPs with the view of strengthening the Indian counter-measures and taskforce to combat the spread of the Coronavirus in the country. The cost cuts have come amid the nationwide lockdown that has been in place by restricting the movements of the people and suspending the operations of the economy and the businesses. 

The nation has been reeling to battle the virus and the ordeal brought the pandemic across its territory and at this crucial time when the country has been reporting surging cases positive for the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened the cabinet meeting on Monday in Delhi and the union ministers have joined the meet through video-conferencing during which the cabinet decided to implement the cost cuts.

While addressing the reporters after the cabinet meeting, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the cabinet has approved the ordinance to amend the reduction of salary, allowances, and pensions of Members of Parliament Act and with this amendment, the allowances and pensions for the MPs would be reduced by 30% for one year with effect from April 1st, 2020. He stated that the President, Vice President, Governors of the states have come forward and voluntarily decided for the cost cut as a social responsibility. The money from the cost cut would directly go to the Consolidated Fund of India.

He further stated that the Cabinet has approved temporary suspension of MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) Fund of MPs during 2020-21 and 2021-22 to tighten the government's measures towards dealing the adverse impact of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country and through the temporary suspension for two years, the Consolidated Fund of India would be banked with Rs 7900 crores.

In the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that the current crisis is the prospect to boost Make in India by lowering the dependence on other countries and he advised the Central Ministers to be in touch with the state, district authorities of the districts which are hotspots for the global pandemic. Modi further stated that it's essential to strategize for emergency conditions after the lockdown.

India has reported with 4067 cases and 109 deaths in its territory so far as of Monday morning and Joint Secretary in the Union of Ministry of Health Lav Aggarwal said that the country has reported with 693 new cases in the last 24 hours and of the positive cases, 1445 cases are related to the Jamaat Conference that was organized in Delhi last month and the nation witnessed thirty deaths on Sunday.