Himachal Pradesh government will pay salaries to state government employees on 5th of every month and pension on 10th.
Replying to the issue being raised by the Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur in the HP Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “The salaries and pensions of employees and retirees of various departments in the state will now be disbursed on the 5th and 10th of every month, respectively, till fiscal prudence measures are in force considering the grave financial crisis in the state”.
Himachal Pradesh government is drawing flak from the state government employees, pensioners and the opposition parties as the state government has failed to pay salaries and pension on September 1st, due for the month of August.
He clarified, “The staggered payment of salaries would not apply to employees and pensioners of boards and corporations as they met this expenditure through their own resources and we will take into account the pleas of employees on the payment of EMIs on loans raised by them on time,” he added.
“As part of fiscal prudence, effort is being made for mapping of expenditure with revenue to save money being paid as interest on loans. We spend Rs 1,200 crore monthly on salaries and Rs 800 crore on pensions, so we need Rs 2,000 crore every month for this,” he said.
The CM said, “By deferring the payment of salaries and pensions, the government would save Rs 3 crore monthly and Rs 36 crore annually being paid as interest on loans; we pay salaries and pensions on first of each month and raise a loan at 7.5 percent interest, since Rs 520 crore revenue deficit grant (RDG) is received on sixth of every month.”
Earlier, raising a Point of Order, Jai Ram Thakur said, “The serving and retired employees had not got their dues which is an urgent issue, the house must debate and employees are informed,” he added.
