The Himachal Pradesh Pensioners’ Joint Action Committee on Saturday urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to increase Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners by one percentage point, from 45 per cent to 46 per cent.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, the committee’s chairman, Suresh Thakur, said the state government had recently raised Dearness Relief by three per cent points, from 42 per cent to 45 per cent.
On October 15, Sukhu had announced a 3 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees and pensioners, which will be credited with the October salaries and pensions, payable in November.
Suresh Thakur said it was unfortunate that the DR for state government pensioners remains one per cent lower than the 46 per cent granted to Central Government employees and pensioners.
“As pensioners, we rely on our pensions for our financial sustenance, and DR constitutes a vital part of our income. The reduction of one per cent compared to the Central Government rate has caused considerable concern, as it adversely affects our purchasing power and financial stability. This reduction is not just and fair,” the committee members said.
The association requested the government to revise the Dearness Relief for pensioners to 46 per cent and release the arrears for the period from July 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, at the earliest.
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