Several Himachal Pradesh government employees on Tuesday said they are yet to receive salaries for August and expressed concern over the unprecedented delay, amid alleged paucity of funds, even as chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state has “crossed” the economic crisis and is working on reforms to ensure financial stability.
Speaking to reporters, Sukhu said: “We have crossed the stage of economic crisis and we are working on reforms to ensure financial discipline. We need to make these changes to make Himachal a self-reliant state.”
His remarks came as several government employees complained of a delay in receiving salaries, preventing them from running their monthly expenses.
“We usually get our salary on the first of every month. This situation is unprecedented. It has never happened before that employees have received their salaries late. We are writing a letter to the chief secretary and principal secretary of finance, requesting them to instruct the concerned banks not to impose any penalties for delayed payments on employee loans this time,” Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Employees Association chairman Sanjeev Sharma said.
As of now, it is said that salaries will be released on September 5, but there has been no official communication from the government, he said. “If salaries are not disbursed even on the 5th, the employee union will consider further action,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}As of now, it is said that salaries will be released on September 5, but there has been no official communication from the government, he said. “If salaries are not disbursed even on the 5th, the employee union will consider further action,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Leader of Opposition in assembly Jai Ram Thakur alleged it is probably for the first time in the history of the state that government employees are facing such a delay in receiving their salaries. “It clearly indicates that there is a serious financial crisis in the state. Sukhu sometimes says that there is a financial crisis and sometimes he says there is no financial crisis.”
On Thursday, Sukhu said he, his ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of boards and corporations would defer drawing their salaries and allowances for two months, keeping in mind the state’s “grim financial situation”. Speaking in the assembly, he also urged other members of the House to follow suit.
“In 2025-26, the revenue deficit grant will be reduced by another ₹3,000 crore to a mere ₹3,257 crore, which will make it even tougher for us to meet our needs,” he said.