COVID-19 crisis: Rajinikanth gives Rs 50 lakh to CM Fund to tackle coronavirus

Chennai, May 17: Contributions to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund continued to pour in to help the government tackle the COVID-19 pandemic with the AIADMK on Monday saying it would give Rs one crore besides a month's salary of its MLAs and MPs.

CPI general secretary D Raja said its two Lok Sabha MPs and two MLAs from Tamil Nadu would give their one month's salary to the Fund and CPI(M) State Secretary K Balakrishnan handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh, favouring the CMPRF, to Chief Minister MK Stalin at the Secretariat.

Top actor Rajinikanth too called on Stalin at the Secretariat here and gave a cheque for Rs 50 lakh. Speaking to reporters, the Tamil superstar said, "People should definitely comply with the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government and only then the pandemic can be contained.

This is my earnest appeal to the people." Sun TV Network Chairman Kalanidhi Maran gave away a cheque for Rs 10 crore to Stalin. The AIADMK, in a statement, said that it had given Rs one crore during the first wave of the pandemic last year and asked its cadres to alleviate the sufferings of the people -hit by COVID-19- in their respective regions.

In order to help create medical amenities and provide appropriate relief to the people, the principal opposition party said it would make a contribution of Rs one crore to the CMPRF and also give away a month's salary of its MLAs and MPs.

Top executives of the Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited presented a cheque of Rs three crore to Stalin and Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association Rs 50 lakh. Similarly, several others met Stalin at the Secretariat and gave cheques favouring the CM Fund to support the government to tackle the pandemic.

The Chief Minister had days ago appealed to the people, the corporates and others including the Tamil diaspora to generously contribute to the CMPRF to help the government in its fight against the pandemic.