Shimla. Himachal Pradesh government employees and pensioners could not get their salary and pension till 2nd September, i.e. Monday. Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran has reported that the Congress government of Himachal Pradesh will pay salaries only after receiving Rs 490 crore as revenue deficit grant from the central government. However, 80 thousand employees and pensioners of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board have already received their salary and pension. The installment of revenue deficit grant from the central government is usually received on the 5th or 6th. Apart from this, Himachal’s share of Rs 688 crore in central taxes also comes on the 10th. According to the newspaper, now pension will be available only after the 10th.
In Himachal Pradesh, every month Rs 1200 crore is spent on the salaries of government employees and Rs 800 crore on pensioners. The financial condition of Himachal Pradesh has become unstable. Recently, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had decided that he, his government ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries, cabinet rank advisors and chairmen and vice-chairmen of public sector undertakings will not take salary for the next 2 months. CM Sukhu had also requested MLAs of other parties not to take their salaries.
BJP and Congress are blaming each other for the financial crisis in Himachal.
There is a war of words going on between CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the opposition BJP over the financial crisis in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP alleges that the Congress government implemented OPS and started giving Rs 1500 every month in the accounts of women. This has emptied the government treasury. At the same time, CM Sukhu has alleged that this situation has come due to 14 subsidies started during the tenure of the BJP government and the withholding of funds by the central government. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has also said that before the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP government had made electricity free for everyone including tax payers. Apart from this, free travel of women was ordered in government buses. Sukhu has said that now the government will take a decision regarding free water, ending electricity subsidy of hotel owners and giving tickets to women at half the price instead of free travel in buses.
