Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has started donating Rs 50,000 from his salary to be deducted every month for the next one year to the PM CARES fund created to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, the CDS had written to the authorities concerned that for the next one year, Rs 50,000 be deducted from his salary and be deposited in the PM-CARES fund, defence sources told .
After the letter was written, the first deduction of Rs 50,000 was done from the salary of April and deposited in the fund created for the fight against Coronavirus, they said.
The CDS had also donated one-day salary for the PM CARES fund along with all other defence services' personnel who had donated in March soon after the fund was started.
Now the Defence Ministry employees have been given an option of donating one-day salary every month for the next one year and this would be done voluntarily.
Sources said the decision to donate Rs. 50,000 every month to the PM CARES fund by the CDS is likely to encourage other senior officers also to make their contribution towards the fight against coronavirus.
National Disaster Management Authority member and former Coast Guard Chief Rajendra Singh has also donated 30 per cent of his salary to the PM CARES fund.
A number of senior officers in Army Headquarters have contributed for the PM fund.
The CDS is also leading from the front in the armed forces' fight against COVID-19 as he attends all meetings with the Health Ministry and is also working with the services in preparing them for fight against the pandemic.
The CDS had also visited the Narela quarantine centre and other facilities to assess the preparations there to tackle the spread of the deadly virus which originated from China.
( With inputs from ANI )