Accuses Sukhu govt of dismantling departments and ignoring employee rights
TNR News Network
Dharamshala:
Former Industries Minister and BJP MLA Bikram Thakur has launched a scathing attack on the Himachal Pradesh Congress government, accusing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of targeting government employees and pensioners in the name of fiscal management.
Bikram Thakur claimed that after abolishing posts in various boards and corporations, the government now had its sights set on dismantling jobs within the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).
“This government is reappointing handpicked senior officers on massive salaries, while regular employees, who run their households on daily earnings, are being treated as a burden,” Bikram Thakur said in a press statement.
Bikram Thakur said the government had crossed all limits of insensitivity toward state employees and retirees. He alleged that despite promising the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to win power, the same government has now denied pension benefits to HRTC employees retiring after April 2024.
“Today, retired HRTC employees are forced to protest on the streets of Shimla for their rightful pensions. Around 250 pensioners have not received any pension to date. Payments for September pensions, 2016 pay arrears, DA and medical reimbursements remain pending for months,” he said.
Calling it a betrayal of promises made, Bikram Thakur slammed the state for preaching about a “prosperous Himachal” from public platforms while forcing elderly pensioners to agitate for basic entitlements.
Bikram Thakur also claimed the government is planning to withdraw the 50% bus fare concession for women as it is repeatedly being portrayed as a financial burden in official statements.
“This is a pattern. The Sukhu government criticises previous schemes like free electricity, free rural water supply, Sahara Yojana pensions and Himcare health benefits, then shuts them down either directly or indirectly,” he said.
He alleged that the Chief Minister’s recent remarks about HRTC being financially stressed due to employee costs and fare concessions clearly reflect a narrow and anti-worker mindset.
“By saying that only drivers, conductors, and inspectors are needed to run buses, the Chief Minister has insulted the entire HRTC workforce,” Thakur said. “He forgets that these employees are not liabilities but the backbone of Himachal — working in the toughest mountain terrains to keep services running.”
Bikram Thakur accused the Sukhu government of gradually phasing out critical departments like the Electricity Board, HIMUDA, and now possibly HRTC, by eliminating posts and slashing services.
“This government sees its employees and pensioners as a burden, even though these very people have dedicated their lives to public service,” he said.
