Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami extends services of medical staff for two months amid coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak

Palaniswami also said that the payment of property tax, water charges, farm loan instalments to cooperatives, housing loan instalments to cooperatives, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, loan instalments to fishery and handloom cooperatives had been deferred.

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (March 31) passed an order to extend services of medical staff for two months on a contract basis in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. This includes doctors, healthcare staff and technical personnel who are due to retire today.

"Doctors and nurses, who are due to retire on March 31, 2020, would serve for two more months on a contract basis," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in a statement today.

Earlier on March 27, the Tamil Nadu CM ordered the recruitment of 530 doctors, 1508 Lab Technicians and 1000 nurses through Medical Services Recruitment Board to meet the additional requirements to deal with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 threat. 

The doctors and paramedical staff were directed to join duty within three days of the receipt of appointment letters, as per the Chief Minister K Palaniswami's order. 

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister today also gave relief to the state people and extended the time for making due payments for various loans and other payments by three months.

In a statement issued in Chennai, Palaniswami said the payment of property tax, water charges, farm loan instalments to cooperatives, housing loan instalments to cooperatives, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, loan instalments to fishery and handloom cooperatives had been deferred.

The government also announced extension in time for loan repayments to Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC) and soft loans availed from State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) and payment of maintenance expenses to units operating in SIPCOT industrial estates.

Palaniswami said that a special fund of Rs 200 crore will be operated for funding the urgent needs of micro, small and medium sized units.