The issue of non-payment of salary and pension to lakhs of employees and pensioners in Himachal Pradesh is a hot one. Even on the 4th of this month, money did not come into the bank accounts of employees and pensioners. This issue was raised in the monsoon session of the state assembly on Wednesday. The opposition party BJP surrounded the ruling Congress government on this issue and alleged that there is an economic crisis in the state and employees are yearning for their salaries. On this, the leader of the house and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while making a statement in the house, has announced that the employees of the state will be paid their salaries on the 5th of this month and the pensioners on the 10th.
What did CM Sukhu say?
The Chief Minister clarified that the main reason for paying salary and pension on 5th and 10th instead of 1st is that the state government wants to use financial resources judiciously by mapping expenditure with receipts. The Chief Minister said that the state government has to pay salary and pension on the first of every month while the state’s share of the money from the central government comes later.
1260 crores will come from the center this month
CM Sukhu said that an amount of 520 crores is received from the central government as revenue defer grant on the 6th and the share of 740 crores in central taxes is received on the 10th. The Chief Minister further said that for the payment of salary and pension to the employees on the first date, the state government has to bear the burden of interest unnecessarily by taking advance loan from the market at the rate of about 7.5%. Sukhu said that the state government has to take loan to pay salary and pension on the first date, on which interest of three crores has to be paid every month. In this way, by mapping the expenditure with the receipt, the government will save an amount of about three crore rupees every month.
2000 crores are spent on salary and pension every month
The Chief Minister informed the House that every month Rs. 1200 crore is spent on the salaries of employees and Rs. 800 crore on pension in the state. In this way, Rs. 2000 crore is spent on salary and pension every month. He also said that this arrangement regarding salary and pension has been made for this month and in the coming month, efforts will be made to pay salary and pension on the first of the month.
The Chief Minister said that this system will not be applicable to government boards and corporations. They can take their own decisions on salary and pension payments by assessing their resources. The Chief Minister also disclosed that on the basis of permission received from the Central Government, an outstanding amount of Rs 2317 crore is left for raising loan from the market, which the state government will have to use judiciously in the next four months i.e. from September to December.
The previous BJP government spoiled the financial balance of the state: Sukhu
The Chief Minister said that the previous BJP government is responsible for these financial conditions in the state. The previous government distributed free rubbers just before the elections, due to which the financial balance of the state deteriorated. He said that the present government is working towards financial discipline and more tough decisions will be taken in the coming months to improve the economy. The Chief Minister said that with the steps being taken by the state government, Himachal Pradesh will become self-reliant in the year 2026 and will become the richest state of the country in the year 2032.
