Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of the three per cent salary deferment for Class I and Class II officers.
“The pending gratuity and leave encashment of Class IV employees who retired between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021, will be cleared by the month of May, involving an expenditure of Rs. 50 crore.”
He however clarified that the temporary deferment of 30 per cent and 20 per cent in the salaries of the Chief Minister, Ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, the DGP and senior officers would continue. He announced that all eligible non-gazetted officers of the state police would be granted one honorary higher rank on the day of their retirement.
He also announced that all eligible women in Kinnaur district would receive a Samman Nidhi of Rs 1,500 under the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana’.
Sukhu was speaking at the 79th Himachal Day state-level function held at Reckong Peo in Kinnaur district. He also announced connecting all government institutions, schools and households in Reckong Peo with a central heating system powered by geothermal energy.
He unfurled the national flag and took salute of the march past. Addressing the gathering, he greeted the people of the state and also paid tribute to the first Chief Minister of Himachal, Dr YS Parmar and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for their immense contributions to Himachal Pradesh.
Sukhu said the state government was initiating work on the historic 66 KV Pooh-Kaza transmission line project, spanning 125 km with 495 towers, at a cost of Rs 415 crore.
“This project will benefit approximately 17,500 residents of Kinnaur as well as Spiti valley and the survey for the 45 km Sumdo-Kaza line under this project has already been completed,” he said.
He further said that due to the efforts of the state government, border trade with China via Shipki-La is set to resume from June 1 this year. “The issue of commencing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Shipki-La has also been taken up with the Union Government, and positive developments are emerging,” he said.
Sukhu said the discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) would result in an average annual loss of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 crore for the state, amounting to approximately Rs 50,000 crore over five years.
“It is due to this that the state government has had to adopt fiscal discipline and present a budget that is Rs 3,000 crore lower than the previous year. We are determined to face these challenges and will generate new resources to lead the state on the path of development and prosperity,” he said.
He said that strengthening the rural economy remained the top priority for the state government. “Major reforms are being undertaken in the health sector with the introduction of robotic surgery, PET scan facilities and modern equipment.”
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a sewerage scheme at Sunnam to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 8.72 crore and a flood protection scheme in Gram Panchayat Kafnoo costing Rs. 2.51 crore. Additionally, he inaugurated the Solding-Chaura road, built at a cost of Rs. 4.88 crore.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and senior officers were also present on the occasion.
