Pensioners threaten protests over delay in arrear payment
Irked over the delay in the payment of the arrears of revised pension, the pensioners of the Himachal Government on Wednesday threatened to hold protests across the state.
There are about 1.95 lakh pensioners, and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has repeatedly said that the previous BJP government had left liabilities amounting to Rs 11,000 crore on account of the arrears of the revised pay of employees and pension, said Atma Ram Sharma, president of the Himachal Pensioners Welfare Association.
Out of this, the liability of about Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore pertained to pensioners, who had retired between 2016 and 2022, said Sharma while addressing mediapersons here.
The Sixth Punjab Pay Commission (applicable to Himachal), though implemented in the latter half of 2022, came into effect on January 1, 2016. The arrears of the pensioners over 75 years of age had been paid. Additionally, the government had announced that it would pay arrears to pensioners aged 70 to 75 years and some other categories, Sharma added. However, those who had retired between 2016 and 2022 were yet to get arrears.
Work on rail line halted for 4th day
- The construction work for tunnel number 17 of the Bhanupali-Beri railway line remained suspended for the fourth day on Wednesday due to protests by locals over some houses developing cracks
- Villagers in the Bilaspur Sadar area say cracks have appeared in 15 houses due to the construction work
Himachal Tribune