Dharamsala (HP), Sep 30 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh Pensioners Welfare Association has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to delay the disbursement of pensions until October 9 and warned of protest if pension of September is not released by October 1.
Senior Vice President of the state association and Kangra District President, Suresh Thakur on Monday cautioned that pensioners will take to the streets in the first week of October if their pensions are not paid on October 1, a statement issued here said.
After delaying the salaries of the government employees and pension of pensioners by five and 10 days respectively in September, the Himachal Pradesh Government had announced on Saturday to release salaries of September on October 1 and pensions on October 9.
The monthly expenditure on salaries and pensions stands at Rs 1200 crore and Rs 800 respectively.
The delay in September was attributed to the state’s receipt of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) and its share of central taxes received on 6th and 10th of every month, necessitating the raising of loans to pay salaries and pensions, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had told the Vidhan Sabha on September 4.
The association also urged the government to immediately pay revised gratuity, leave encashment and commutation arrears for employees who retired between January 2016 and January 2022.
Additionally, they demanded the release of three pending installments of dearness allowance (DA) at a 12 percent rate.
Thakur criticised the government of failing to curb its own expenses while imposing austerity measures on pensioners, alleging that the government made “false announcements of freebies” and increased salaries, pensions and allowances for ministers, MLAs, and other officials.
“It is not the pensioners and employees who are draining the treasury, but the ministers, MLAs, Chief Parliamentary secretaries and board and corporation chairpersons who have exhausted the government’s resources”, the association said.
Thakur highlighted the need for an immediate formation of a Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) for pensioners, re-implementation of the Himcare health insurance scheme for pensioners and a special provision in the state budget for the settlement of long-pending medical bills.
The association further demanded the reduction of the 15-year commutation limit to 10 years, aligning with policies in Punjab and Haryana.
The association made it clear that pensioners are not asking for new benefits but simply seeking the financial entitled financial dues, such as the revised pay scale and the overdue DA installments.
Despite repeated requests, the government has shown reluctance in addressing these demands, said Thakur and accused the government of trying to divert attention from these unresolved issues by scheduling pension disbursement for October 9.
The association has urged the government to resolve these financial issues immediately to avoid a confrontation with pensioners, many of whom have devoted their lives to public service.
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