Most issues of staff resolved, says Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur

Mandi, October 9

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said employees were the backbone of the state government. He was addressing the ‘Abhinandan’ function of officers and employees of Seraj (Seraj Sarv Adhikari Avm Karamchari Varg) at Thunag in Seraj Assembly constituency of Mandi district.

He said the state has always maintained cordial relations with its employees and most of the issues pertaining to them were resolved despite the Covid crisis. The state government has ensured full salary, pension and other benefits to the employees so that they don’t face any inconvenience even during the pandemic. He said the period of regularisation of contractual employees was reduced from three years to two years and one-year relaxation to regularise the daily wagers.

He said the Opposition leaders were misleading the employees in the name of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). He asked the Congress leaders why their Chief Ministers have not implemented the OPS in their states even after 10 months of announcement.

He said that whenever the OPS would be implemented in the country, it would be implemented during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged the employees of the state to have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he would definitely come up to their expectations.

Thakur said issues of computer teachers and outsourced employees would be considered sympathetically. He said the government had recently decided to constitute ‘Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas and Rozgar Nigam Company’ which would ensure deployment of skilled, semi-skilled and other manpower in government departments, boards, corporations and universities. He said this would provide a much-needed relief to the employees.

He said on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day this year, the state government had announced to release the first instalment of arrears of revised pay scale to the employees and pensioners with effect from January 1, 2016. He said the arrears would be given to the state government employees and pensioners and it would benefit around 2.25 lakh employees and 1.90 lakh pensioners.

He said the daily wages of the daily wagers had been increased by Rs 140. In the year 2017, the daily wagers were getting Rs 210, which has been increased to Rs 350 by the present state government. He said the contribution of NPS has also been increased from 10 to 14% to benefit more than one lakh employees of the state, besides providing them benefits of Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) at par with OPS employees. He said the upper limit of gratuity has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

Mini sectt building opened at Thunag

Mandi: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth about Rs 240 crore in Seraj. After dedicating to the public the Mini Secretariat building at Thunag, the CM said the credit of this unprecedented development went to the people of Seraj, who had provided a wholehearted support to him. Thakur said 59 projects had been dedicated to the people of Seraj today worth Rs 240 crore. He said the Rs 29.42 crore Mini Secretariat building at Thunag would facilitate people of the area as all offices would be housed under one roof. He urged the people for their support to the government so that the pace of development goes uninterrupted. The CM also announced the upgrade of the PHC Chattri to the CHC.