Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday (September 5) said employees have received their salaries, along with some people who received their pension today while other pensioners will do so on September 8.
There has been large-scale resentment among employees over the non-payment of salary on September 1, even as Sukhu on Wednesday (September 4) defended the deferment saying this will help save at least Rs 3 crore every month and Rs 36 crore annually on interest payment.
While announcing in the state assembly that salary will be disbursed on September 5 and pension on September 10, he said the main reason behind late payment of salary and pension is that the government is mapping expenditure and receipts for resource use in a prudent manner.
The chief minister said the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) of Rs 520 crore will be received on September 6 and the share in central taxes amounting to Rs 740 crore on September 10. “Paying salary on first day of every month necessitates borrowing from the market at 7.5 per cent interest and deferring payment of salary will help save about Rs 3 crore every month and Rs 36 crore annually on interest payment,” he told the House.
He further said this arrangement, however, will not be applicable in corporations and boards, who are free to take decisions, keeping in view their resources. According to the borrowing limit, the government can raise loan to the tune of Rs 2,317 crore only, which has to be used judiciously during the next four months, he added.
What did CM Sukhu say in the state assembly?
Reiterating his resolve to make the state financially self-reliant by 2027 and most prosperous by 2032, Sukhu further said more tough measures will be taken in future. He said financial crisis existed when the present government took over on December 11, 2022, and has taken up the existing challenges head on.
Accusing the previous government of not clearing the dues of employees, he asked why the government deferred payment of Rs 10,000 crore on account of dearness allowance (DA) and arrears in spite of revenue surplus in 2021. The BJP government left liabilities of the State Electricity Board worth Rs 2,200 crore, announced 125 units free electricity and free water supply in rural areas just before the assembly elections and also opened 600 institutions without any budgetary provision, he added.
The BJP, meanwhile, has kept up its attack on the Congress-led government over the issue. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said the previous government cannot be blamed for the financial crisis as the practice of raising loans started in 1993. He said Congress government has now been in power for two years and the deferment of salary was a serious issue.
(With PTI inputs)
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