'Will reconsider decision to deduct salaries for relief fund'

The Travancore Devaswom Board Monday informed the Kerala High Court that it would reconsider its earlier decision to deduct salaries and festival allowances of TDB employees towards the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) in view of the floods.

When a petition filed by an organization representing employees of the Board came up for consideration, a Division Bench, comprising Justices P R Ramachandra Menon and Devan Ramachandran orally observed that the stand of the board on the issue amounts to "extortion".

Following this, the board sought time till Wednesday to reconsider its earlier decision and for the court to pass an appropriate order.

In its petition, the employees' organization contended that the donation to the fund is a voluntary act and the attempt by the board to compulsory deduct the money is without any sanction of law.