Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today announced four per cent DA for the state’s employees and pensioners, benefitting 1.80 lakh employees and 1.70 lakh pensioners, from January 1, 2023. This will put an extra burden of Rs. 600 crore per year on the state exchequer.

In addition to this, the CM announced that they will receive their November salary and pension on October 28 itself, ahead of Deepawali. He stated this while addressing media persons here. He also announced to clear all the pending medical bills of employees and retirees for which a provision of Rs. 10 crores has already been made.

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Sukhu directed the concerned departments to clear all the pending medical bills this month and an adequate budget will be provided to the departments for this as per their demand. “We have formed a government not to enjoy power, but to change the system. Our government and Cabinet has decided that the medical bills of the employees should be immediately reimbursed and clear all pendency,” he said.

He also announced to pay the entire full amount of pending arrears to all the pensioners above 75 years of age. He said that a total of Rs. 202 crore would be spent in this financial year over the salary and pension arrears. He also announced that an additional installment of arrear amounting to Rs. 20,000 for class-IV employees will be released to them in this fiscal itself.

Clarifying that there was no financial crunch, he said that the state will be self-reliant by 2027. “The financial situation was carefully examined by our government and I reiterate time and again that with change in the system we are moving ahead to make the state self-reliant,” claimed the CM. The financial crunch was being propagated in the media by the national and the state BJP leaders, he alleged.

He took a jibe at the leader of Opposition for spreading lies about the financial status of the State and even misleading the Prime Minister and BJPs National President. He said that BJP has left no stone unturned in spreading misinformation about the state fiscal health.

“The payment of due amount of the employees including DA and arrears are the testimony to the fact that the state government was committed to address the grievances of its employees and there was no such financial crunch as of now,” he said. He further said that 1,15000 employees have been benefited with the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme.