The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to withdraw its earlier decision to defer salaries of government employees. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday directed the finance department to revoke the notification and release the arrears of the deferred salary along with next month's emoluments.
Chief Minister's Decision
After reviewing the state's financial position in a meeting with senior finance department officials, the CM stated that the salary deferment would continue only in his own case. Sukhu also directed the finance department to release the pending pension arrears for all pensioners aged 65 to 70 years. He said that the arrears would be disbursed next month. The CM assured that the state government would make available all funds required for the purpose.
Meeting Attendees
Principal Secretary, Finance, Devesh Kumar; Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashish Singhmar; Special Secretary, Finance, Saurabh Jassal; and other senior officers of the department were present in the meeting.
Background
In April, the state government had ordered a temporary deferment of up to 30% of the monthly salaries of senior state officials in view of the "prevailing financial circumstances." The decision had sparked concerns among employees and pensioners, prompting the government to reassess its fiscal strategy. With the revocation, the government aims to alleviate financial stress on its workforce while continuing to manage the state's economy prudently.
