In a festive gesture ahead of Deepawali, CM Sukhu announced a 3% Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for state government employees and pensioners. The DA will be added to October salaries and pensions, payable in November. Additionally, arrears from April to September 2025 will be credited this month, while separate orders will be issued for the pending arrears from July 2023 to March 2025.
The announcement came during the Biennial General Convention of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Employees Union held in Shimla. The Chief Minister also assured that the government is actively considering the implementation of the One Pension Scheme (OPS) for Electricity Board employees, following discussions with union representatives.
As part of broader welfare measures, the Chief Minister directed the Electricity Board to implement a new compensation policy for outsourced workers in the event of accidents. He also ordered the immediate resolution of pending promotions, highlighting the importance of employee support in successfully reforming the board.
Highlighting inefficiencies within the system, Sukhu pointed out that while the cost of electricity generation at the Uhl project stands at Rs. 27 per unit, employee-related expenses are just Rs. 2.50 per unit, attributing the disparity to an excess of senior officers. He emphasized that such imbalances have denied frontline employees their rightful financial benefits.
To improve employee welfare, the government has already released Rs. 2,200 crore for the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL). From 2023 to September 2025, Rs. 662.81 crore has been disbursed for gratuity, medical reimbursements, leave encashments, and pension arrears. An additional Rs. 70 crore will be released by year-end. Notably, medical reimbursements have been streamlined and are now processed weekly with no pending dues.
Addressing economic challenges, the Chief Minister said that while the state inherited a debt of Rs. 75,000 crore and employee liabilities of Rs. 10,000 crore from the previous BJP government, efforts are ongoing to stabilize the economy. He criticized the Centre’s resistance to additional borrowing due to Himachal’s continued support of OPS and said the Union Government continues to pressure the state to withdraw the scheme.
The Chief Minister also took a swipe at the BJP for opening 600 educational institutions before the 2022 elections without proper planning, many of which had to be closed. However, he noted that reforms under the present government have helped Himachal rise from 21st to 5th place in quality education rankings. Similar improvements are underway in the health sector, where outdated machinery is being replaced and medical infrastructure is being upgraded.
Investments of Rs. 3,000 crore are being made in modern healthcare, including the introduction of PET scans, 3-Tesla MRI machines, and robotic surgeries at Chamiana Hospital and Tanda Medical College.
In agriculture and rural development, the state government is working to strengthen the rural economy by offering better procurement prices for milk, and extending support prices to key crops such as wheat, maize, barley, and raw turmeric, particularly those grown through natural farming.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
