Shimla, Sep 3 (PTI) Two days after pensioners in Himachal Pradesh held a protest in Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state’s economic condition is steadily improving and the government is periodically clearing dues owed to employees and pensioners.
Talking to mediapersons on Thursday, Sukhu said the government will settle the rest of the dues as the state’s economic health improves further. He asserted that this process was not being driven by any external pressure.
On Tuesday, pensioners in the state staged a massive protest near Vidhan Sabha, demanding payment of 16 per cent Dearness Allowance, post-2016 pay revision liabilities, revised pension arrears, leave encashment, and other pending financial benefits.
The chief minister said his government has released the arrears of pensioners aged above 67. All dues of Class IV pensioners have been settled, and 55 per cent of outstanding payments for those who retired between 2016 and 2022 have been paid.
He said his government has generated revenue by closing the loopholes that facilitated corruption. Despite the Centre’s discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant, the state has continued to clear pensioners’ dues, he added.
Targeting the Central government, Sukhu said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Rs 1,500 crore for disaster relief, Himachal Pradesh has not yet received a single penny.
He said the state government was functioning with financial discipline and transparency, and the interests of employees and pensioners would be safeguarded by increasing revenue. PTI BPL RUK RUK
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