Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu announces early Diwali benefits for employees, pensioners
PTC Web Desk: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced significant Diwali benefits for state employees and pensioners. During a press conference held at the state secretariat on Friday evening, the Himachal CM declared that this year, employees and pensioners would not have to wait until November 1 for their salaries and pensions. The state government has decided to disburse salaries and pensions on October 28, four days earlier than usual, in celebration of the Diwali festival.
Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu further announced the release of a 4% installment of Dearness Allowance (DA), effective from January 1, 2023, benefiting 1.80 lakh employees and 1.70 lakh pensioners. This increase in DA is expected to put an additional financial burden of Rs 600 crore on the state exchequer in the coming fiscal year.
CM Sukhu assured that all pending medical bills of employees would be cleared, and no bills would remain pending. He said the state’s financial condition had improved significantly. He flayed the opposition for spreading false information about the state's finances during the Haryana elections.
Highlighting the state's financial discipline, the Himachal Chief Minister said delaying salaries by a month had resulted in a saving of Rs 3 crore. CM Sukhu claimed that the state treasury had not gone into overdraft since his government took over on December 11, 2022, despite inheriting a challenging financial situation.
The CM said during the past year, the state generated an additional Rs 2,200 crore in revenue, countering claims that the government lacked funds for salary disbursement.
Approximately 1,364 employees under the National Pension Scheme (NPS) will also receive DA as per the rates issued by the Central Government, with orders for this adjustment issued on October 10. The government has ensured that pensioners above the age of 75 would receive their complete arrears.
- With inputs from agencies
