Principal Media Advisor to the HP CM says the BJP fooled the employees for five years in HP by keeping their dues pending, while the Sukhu govt is employee-friendly.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister’s Principal Media Advisor Naresh Chauhan today said the opposition BJP had no right to speak against the present Congress government on employee issues as it did not protect the rights of employees during the previous tenure.
Talking to media persons here, Naresh Chauhan ridiculed the statement of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, wherein he had asked the government to express thanks to the Central government for assistance of Rs 1500 crore. “It is not a special help. It is just the state share in taxes, which any state gets. There is no need to thank the Centre on this,” he said.
The Principal Media Advisor said the Sukhu government was employee-friendly, as immediately after joining the office, it had fulfilled the first guarantee of implementing the Old Pension Scheme for the employees. “The previous BJP government had implemented the Sixth Pay Commission, but it did not release the dues of the employees and left Rs 10,000 crore liability on this account,” he said.
He said it was the Chief Minister’s positive approach for the employees that he has agreed to their justified demands and has announced 4% Dearness Allowance due from January 1, 2023, the release of full arrears of the pensioners above 75 years of age, instalment of Rs 20,000 to class IV employees and release of salary of government employees on 28 October this time given Diwali festival. Besides, the Chief Minister has also provided Rs 10 crore to pay off the medical reimbursement bills of pensioners in the state.
Chauhan said the Congress government has already released 7% DA to the employees. With the release of 4% DA due from January 1, 2023, the state government will benefit 1.80 lakh employees and 1.70 lakh pensioners in HP. The government would incur Rs 600 crore on this. “The employees are also happy with the state government’s decision in their favour,” he said.
He said the government employees kept fighting for Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the previous BJP tenure in vain.
“However, the Congress government implemented it immediately as soon as it joined office, while benefitting 1.36 lakh employees,” he said.
Chauhan said the overtime payment of crores of Rupees for Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) drivers and conductors was pending since the previous BJP regime.
“Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed this also and provided Rs 50 crore for overtime payment in HRTC and Rs 9 crore for pending medical bill reimbursements. The HRTC employees have thanked the CM for this,” he said.
He said the former BJP Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur had fooled the employees in the five years rule previously. “Now when the Congress government is releasing the long pending dues of employees, the BJP is opposing it,” he said.
Chauhan said there was no bickering between the Secretariat employees and the government and positive results have come out of the cordial dialogue between the two.
“The CM has fulfilled the demands and has benefitted lakhs of employees and pensioners with his decisions,” he said
He reiterated that there was no financial crisis in Himachal Pradesh and the hill state would become self dependent by 2027.
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