DA update: Himachal CM announces welfare measures, additional ₹20,000 in salary arrears for retirees. Key things to know

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday assured state government workers that the government is committed to welfare of employees and pensioners, adding that Dearness Allowance (DA) will also be provided in due course., PTI reported.

Speaking to the people in Dehra in Kangra district, Sukhu announced that full arrears, leave encashment and gratuity had been paid to pensioners aged above 67 years, it added.

Himachal Pradesh govt announces welfare measures

• Sukhu also announced that Class-IV employees who retired between 1 January 2016, and 31 January 2022, would receive an additional ₹20,000 over and above their salary arrears.
• He added that directions would be issued to remove the condition related to basic pay for Class-I, Class-II and Class-III pensioners.

• “Following the removal of this condition, all eligible pensioners would be paid 35% of their pending arrears. With this payment, a total of 57% of the employees' arrears would be cleared,” he said.
• Sukhu also distributed cheques of financial assistance of ₹3,500 each to 800 fishermen under the ‘Mukhyamantri Machhuaara Samman Nidhi’ Yojana. This has been transferred directly into their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the report added.

State reviewing DA and pending arrears

Earlier in July, Sukhu had said the state is reviewing DA and pending arrears for state employees and pensioners. He said the state's fiscal situation was reviewed at a high-level meeting of the Finance Department.

Sukhu that month also reiterated that the state has restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees in order to ensure their social and financial security, the report added. “Following the restoration of OPS, the Centre withheld financial assistance of ₹1,200 crore due to the state. Had this amount not been withheld, Himachal Pradesh would have been in a position to clear employees' pending arrears. Nevertheless, the state government is sympathetically considering the demands of employees,” Sukhu said.

In early August, the Himachal Pradesh government also approved a 78% increase in the monthly salaries of contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) under the 7th Pay Commission, state officials said, as per another PTI report. This effectively raises the monthly pay of contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) from ₹33,600 to ₹60,000 per month, the report added.

The “historic” increase is expected to “encourage specialist doctors to serve in government healthcare institutions and help ensure the availability of quality healthcare services in remote areas”, a statement from Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's government said.

The government had earlier also increased the monthly stipend of postgraduate (PG) medical students studying in government medical colleges, as per an ANI report. It noted that PG medical students play a “crucial role in patient care” and the enhanced stipend comes as a “recognition of their responsibilities” and motivation for better services. The stipend is as follows:

• First-year PG students increased from ₹40,000-50,000,
• Second-year PG students increased from ₹45,000-60,000, and
• Third-year PG students, the amount increased from ₹50,000 to ₹65,000.

Similarly, the ANI report added that the government also acknowledged the role of Senior Residents and other specialist doctors in medical colleges. As such, the state government also increased their monthly stipends by 50-170% as follows:

• The monthly stipend of Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists increased from ₹60,000-65,000 to ₹1,00,000.
• Monthly stipend of Super Specialists and Senior Residents (Super Specialists) increased from ₹60,000-65,000 to ₹1,30,000.

(With inputs from Agencies)