Sukhu govt faces backlash over employees DA; CM blames Himachal's poor finances for delay

The issue of the delay in payment of the pending 11 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) to government employees echoed in the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Thursday, with a dissatisfied opposition BJP staging a protest while accusing the government of not honouring its commitment.

Raising the issue during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha, Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti said that despite the Chief Minister's announcement in his Budget speech that the pending DA would be given to the employees soon, it was still pending.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur and Jaswan MLA Bikram Singh accused the CM of misleading the House and not honouring his Budget commitment regarding the grant of DA.

Despite Speaker Kuldeep Pathania trying to pacify BJP legislators who were on their feet, raising slogans, the Opposition left the house.

Hitting back at the BJP, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government had lost out on Rs 4,800 crore in the last three years due to having given the old pension scheme (OPS) to the employees.

"Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, in my meeting with her, has said that in case we agree to opt for the new pension scheme (NPS) or unified pensions scheme (UPS), the Himachal Government can get this amount at the rate of Rs 1,600 crore per annum," he explained.

Explaining the financial health of the government, Sukhu said his government had given Rs 10,000 in pending arrears to the employees along with DA, which the previous BJP regime had failed to pay.

He said the Congress regime had paid two installments of three and four per cent DA and arrears of Rs 10,000 crore due on account of the Sixth Pay Commission.

"Despite the state getting a revenue deficit grant (RDG) of Rs 11,000 crore six months before the elections, the previous BJP regime did not give the employees their due," he said.

The RDG has now come down to a mere Rs 3,200 crore every year, but as the health of the economy improves, the DA will be given within this budget.

"I have made provision for DA in the 2024-25 Budget, but considering the financial situation of the state government, it has been delayed. The moment the situation improves, the pending DA will be given," the CM assured.

He said it is not just the duty but also the responsibility of the government to give DA to employees, and misleading the house amounts to a breach of privilege. LoP Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress had come to power due to the support of the employees and, as such, the state government must give the employees their pending 11 per cent DA.

"Congress portrayed itself as a protector of the interests of employees to come to power. Now they are putting the blame on our government despite being in power for more than two-and-a-half years," said Thakur.