In a significant announcement aimed at providing relief to retired government employees, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared that a major portion of pending pension arrears has been cleared, with a firm timeline set for the remaining dues.
Substantial Arrears Cleared for Senior Pensioners
Addressing a gathering of the Himachal Pradesh Pensioner Joint Front in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur district, Chief Minister Sukhu provided a detailed breakdown of the payments made. He stated that pensioners above the age of 70 years have now received 70% of their total arrears. The remaining 30% for this category is promised to be disbursed within the next 40 days.
Sukhu emphasized that his administration has prioritized the oldest pensioners. Those aged 75 and above are on the government's priority list. He drew a sharp contrast with the previous BJP government, noting that while they had paid only 20% of the arrears, the current government has paid 80% of the same dues.
"Pensioners aged above 70 years have received 70% of their total arrears, with 50% provided by the present government as against 20% given by the previous BJP government," the Chief Minister explained.
Phased Clearance Across All Age Groups
The benefits have been extended to other age brackets as well, though in varying proportions based on the state's financial capacity. For pensioners between 65 and 70 years of age, 38% of arrears have been paid. Sukhu highlighted that this includes an additional 18% over the 20% paid by the last government, costing the state exchequer Rs 75 crore despite a severe financial crunch.
Similarly, pensioners below 65 years have received 35% of their arrears. This payment involved the government paying an extra 15% over the earlier 20%, at a substantial cost of Rs 110 crore. Furthermore, the CM informed that 20% gratuity arrears have been settled for employees who retired between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021.
Commitment to Employees and Pensioners' Welfare
Reiterating his government's dedication, Sukhu reminded the audience that one of its first acts upon assuming office was to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in its inaugural cabinet meeting. This move, he said, was taken despite inheriting a massive debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore from the previous administration. The restoration of OPS has provided dignity, security, and confidence to 1.36 lakh state employees.
The Chief Minister also detailed payments towards salary arrears for current employees. An installment of Rs 50,000 has been paid to Class-I to Class-III employees, and Rs 60,000 to Class-IV employees, involving an expenditure of Rs 800 crore. An additional Rs 20,000 was paid to all Class-IV employees on October 19, 2024, costing another Rs 100 crore. In total, the state government has spent a staggering Rs 2,155 crore on clearing employees' and pensioners' arrears so far.
In a move to benefit daily-wage workers, the government has granted the benefit of one year of qualifying service for pension calculation in lieu of five years of daily-wage service for Class-IV employees.
Future Roadmap and Fiscal Challenges
Looking ahead, Chief Minister Sukhu assured the pensioners that by the year 2027, all pending pension arrears would be completely cleared. He also promised that the upcoming state budget would include effective decisions in the interest of pensioners. However, he candidly appealed for support, acknowledging the serious fiscal challenges facing the state. He urged pensioners to back the government's efforts to improve Himachal Pradesh's financial health.
Sukhu concluded by criticizing the central government and BJP leaders, including Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, accusing them of not presenting correct figures regarding financial assistance provided to Himachal Pradesh. He affirmed that his government is systematically clearing the huge backlog of salary and pension arrears left by the previous administration, with a promise to prioritize pending liabilities as state revenue improves.
