Baijnath: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu arrived in Baijnath in Kangra on Saturday (January 25, 2025) morning to preside over Himachal Pradesh’s 55th Full Statehood Day celebrations.
The Chief Minister’s helicopter landed at the CSK Agricultural University helipad in Palampur, where he was welcomed with floral bouquets by PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, AYUSH Minister Yadvinder Goma, MLA Kishori Lal and Chairman Sanjay Chauhan.
Govt employees, pensioners expect announcements on DA, arrears
The state-level event is being held in Baijnath, where the Chief Minister is scheduled to hoist the national flag shortly. The people of the state, especially government employees and pensioners, are eagerly awaiting key announcements from the CM. Traditionally, previous Chief Ministers have used the occasion to make significant announcements for employees, pensioners and the general public.
This year, expectations are particularly high from employees and pensioners as their 11% Dearness Allowance (DA) and arrears worth over ₹9,000 crore under the 6th Pay Commission remain pending.
The previous BJP government had implemented the benefits of the 6th Pay Commission from January 1, 2016, but arrears are yet to be paid. As a result, over two lakh employees and 1.5 lakh pensioners have been waiting for their due arrears since 2016.
Employees and pensioners are also anticipating a DA hike, which could increase their salaries by ₹1,000 to ₹7,000.
CM Sukhu to return to Shimla after 9-day Kangra tour
After the Full Statehood Day function, CM Sukhu will return to Shimla after a nine-day winter sojourn in Kangra district.
The state-level Republic Day function is scheduled to be held at the Ridge in Shimla on Sunday, where Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and CM Sukhu will take the salute at the parade.
During his stay in Kangra, the CM visited various constituencies, addressing public grievances on the spot and inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of development projects worth crores. He also made a brief visit to Manali for the winter carnival during this period.
