There is good news for lakhs of government employees-pensioners of Himachal Pradesh. An important cabinet meeting has been called under the chairmanship of CM Jai Ram Thakur on September 15, it is likely that 3% dearness allowance and dearness relief increase may be announced in the meeting.
After this, the total DA of the employees will increase from 31 percent to 34%. About 2.25 lakh employees and 1.90 lakh pensioners will get the benefit of this. The same can also be issued on the date of payment of arrears.
According to the latest media reports, three percent Dearness Allowance (DA) may be announced to employees and pensioners in the state cabinet meeting to be chaired by CM Jai Ram Thakur on September 15. This will cost the government Rs 450 crore. The same pensioners union has demanded early release of installment of 3 percent dearness allowance outstanding from January 2022.
Let us tell you that last month, a meeting was held between Additional Chief Secretary Finance Prabodh Saxena and officials of Secretariat Employees Services Organization regarding the pending demands of Himachal Pradesh Secretariat employees. In this, along with increasing the dearness allowance of the employees by 3 percent, many other demands were discussed.
The Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) after considering all the issues sympathetically had assured that most of the demands would be given in the month of September. At the same time, he assured the union leaders that the state government will issue an order to increase the dearness allowance next month, while the arrears of the revised pay scale will be available in September.
Along with this, the date of release of the first installment of arrears of the revised pay scale to the employees will also be fixed. Employees and pensioners have to pay arrears of revised pay scale from January 2016. 1000 crore can be paid to employees and pensioners in the form of arrears, which was announced by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at the Independence Day celebrations on August 15. Under this, if the Finance Department prepares the formula for arrears payment, then soon orders can be issued regarding arrears payment.
Apart from this, the issue of resolving salary discrepancies of employees will be discussed in the State Secretariat located at Shimla. The officials of the State Non-Gazetted Employees Federation have invited experts to discuss the issue of pay discrepancies. Efforts will be made to hear the issues of pay discrepancies of different categories of employees in the meeting which will last for two days on Monday and Tuesday. The controversy has arisen after the state government notified the removal of rider condition on 89 categories of employees.
