SHIMLA: In a bold move aimed at addressing the deteriorating financial condition of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced on Thursday (August 29, 2024) that he, along with Cabinet Ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of various boards and corporations, will forgo salary and allowances for two months.
Chief Minister Sukhu made the significant announcement during the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly.
Urges MLAs too to follow suit
The Chief Minister urged all MLAs, including those from the opposition BJP, to voluntarily refuse their salary and allowances.
The decision comes at a critical time when the state is grappling with financial challenges and it already has a debt of over Rs 80,000 crore. “The Chief Minister’s appeal for unity and sacrifice among all political representatives is a clear indication of the seriousness of the state’s economic situation and the Congress regime’s sincere efforts to deal with it,” said a senior Congress leader.
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Decision after employee protests
The move follows a few days after protests by Himachal government employees over pending arrears and the long-overdue release of dearness allowance (DA). The employee leaders had expressed frustration, arguing that while they were being denied their legitimate dues, the ministers and MLA were allegedly splurging on people’s money.
The employee leaders had cited expenditure of crores on the renovation of offices and residences of the chief minister, deputy chief minister, cabinet ministers, CPS and heads of various boards and corporations. They cited a recent expenditure of around Rs 50 lakh on the renovation of an office for a minister at the Secretariat.
Source of employee discontent
Government employees had hoped for an announcement regarding a 4 per cent DA hike and payment of overdue arrears. Instead, the Chief Minister only addressed the issue of arrears for pensioners aged over 75, promising to pay DA and arrears to other employees gradually from next year.
This led to thousands of government employees feeling betrayed, particularly as they are still awaiting three instalments of DA — dating back to January 1, 2023, July 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The fourth instalment is now due from July 1, 2024. While the Central government has already released these instalments to its employees, the Himachal government is yet to follow suit.
