Class-III Pensioners to Get 30% Pension Arrears, Class-I and II to Get 15% in October: CM Sukhu.
Shimla:
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced that Class-III pensioners in Himachal Pradesh will receive 30 per cent of their pending pension arrears in October this year, while Class-I and Class-II pensioners will receive 15 per cent of their arrears.
The benefit will be applicable to pensioners who retired between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2022.
The Chief Minister made the announcement while presiding over a meeting with representatives of the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners’ Joint Front. He said the state government was aware of the issues being faced by pensioners and employees and was making efforts to address their concerns.
Sukhu said the government had been releasing financial benefits to employees and pensioners from time to time and was also considering releasing another instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) in the coming period.
Directions issued to clear medical reimbursement claims
The Chief Minister said directions had been issued to all departments to clear pending medical reimbursement claims of pensioners. He also said that arrears of pensioners aged above 65 years had already been cleared by the state government.
Sukhu acknowledged the contribution of pensioners to the development of Himachal Pradesh, saying that they had played an important role in the state’s progress.
He said the state government had restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for its employees without any political motive, with the objective of ensuring a dignified life for employees after retirement.
CM highlights financial challenges facing Himachal
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also spoke about the financial condition of the state. He said that when the Congress government assumed office, the previous BJP government had left a debt burden of around Rs. 76,000 crore, along with liabilities of approximately Rs. 10,000 crore towards employees and pensioners.
Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh had been receiving Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) since 1952, but the 16th Finance Commission had discontinued the grant after 77 years. He described RDG as an important financial support for the state and said its discontinuation would have a significant impact on Himachal Pradesh’s finances.
“Imagine what would happen if Rs. 40,000 were deducted from an annual income of Rs. 1 lakh. This is the situation being faced by Himachal Pradesh. The state is losing Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore every year,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the previous BJP government had received around Rs. 54,000 crore as RDG and Rs. 16,000 crore as GST compensation during its five-year tenure. He said that, according to the state government’s assessment, better financial discipline during that period could have reduced the state’s debt by around Rs. 30,000 crore and helped clear liabilities towards employees.
He also alleged that the previous government had constructed buildings worth around Rs. 1,000 crore across the state, many of which were lying vacant.
In comparison, Sukhu said, the present Congress government had received around Rs. 17,000 crore as RDG during its first three years and was moving forward with financial discipline.
Government committed to financial stability
The Chief Minister said every decision being taken by the state government was aimed at making Himachal Pradesh financially self-reliant and strengthening its financial position.
President of the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners’ Joint Front, Atma Ram Sharma, said the present state government had taken several steps in the interest of pensioners. He expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for addressing issues concerning the pensioner community.
Office-bearers of the Pensioners’ Joint Front and a large number of pensioners attended the meeting.
