As employees are the backbone of the government and play a major role in the effective implementation of policies and programmes of the government, the state government has given maximum benefits to them. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur stated this while addressing the function, ‘Ek Shaam Mandi Ke Karamcharion Ke Saath’ organized by the employees of Mandi at Vipasha Sadan in Mandi on Friday.

“The state government has always maintained cordial relations with its employees. This is not going well with the Congress leaders,” he said, adding that a young Congress leader of the state even advised him to handle the employees with a tough hand, but he feels that what cannot be achieved with pressure can be achieved with compassion.

He said the state government has recently decided to constitute ‘Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas and Rozgar Nigam Company’ which would ensure the deployment of skilled, semi-skilled and other manpower in Government departments, boards, corporations, and universities and this would provide much-needed relief to the employees.

Thakur said his government had also decided to provide 50 percent concession on bus fares in state-run buses to women, which would help lakhs of women employees working in the government and private sector.

The Congress leaders even opposed this decision of the state government, he added.

Now the congress leaders were misleading the employees of the state in the name of OPS, he said, adding that this was not possible without the assistance and cooperation of the central government.

Chief Minister said on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day this year, the state government had announced to release the first instalment of arrears of revised pay scale to the employees and pensioners with effect from 1 January, 2016.

The Chief Minister was presented a cheque of Rs 1,11,111 by the Employees Association of Mandi, towards the Chief Minister Relief Fund.

Chairman Employees Welfare Board Ghanshyam Sharma said the employees of the state, during the last five years, had always stood firmly with the state government and the Chief Minister.

He said despite the pandemic the employees were provided all their dues by the state government.