while addressing the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Employees Federation here on Saturday announced new pay scales for the employees of the state government with effect from January 1, 2016.The pay of January 2022 will be payable in February 2022 as per revised pay scales, he added.

Thakur said that the state government was spending about 43 per cent of its total budget on employees and pensioners which would increase up to 50 per cent after the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission.

The Chief Minister said that all the pensioners and family pensioners would also be given revised pension and other pensionary benefits, effective from January 1, 2016.The Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief will be given on revised pay scales and revised pension/family pension.

The Chief Minister said that these new pay scales and revised pension would put additional burden of Rs 6,000 crore annually on the state exchequer.Thakur also announced implementation of New Pension System effective from May 15, 2003, according to Office Memorandum dated 5 May, 2009 of central government to the employees of the state government. He said that this would put additional burden of about Rs 250 crore on the state exchequer.

Thakur announced reduction in the period of contractual employees of the state government for their regularisation from three years to two years.He said that one year would also be reduced for regularisation/daily wages conversion in respect of daily wage employees, part time workers, water guards and water carriers etc.

The Chief Minister announced release of additional Rs 10 crore for clearance of pending medical reimbursement bills.Thakur said that a committee would be constituted for appointment on compassionate grounds under the chairmanship of chief secretary. The Committee would give its presentation in the next Cabinet meeting.

He said that the government would also consider to providing tribal allowance to daily wage and contract employees serving in the tribal areas of the state.

Thakur said that NPS employees would now have freedom to choose any pension fund for investment for ensuring better returns. He said that till now these employees have to invest in only those pension fund selected by the government. He said that all the NPS employees were being provided Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity benefits and now the government has decided to provide Gratuity to NPS employees deprived from this benefit from 15th May, 2003 to 22nd September, 2017.

He said that during the last about four years, the state government had enhanced the DA of employees and pensioners of the state by 22 per cent and financial benefits of Rs 1,320 crore were provided to them. He said that two installments of IR of 12 per cent were also provided to them, thereby providing them benefits of Rs 740 crore.

Additional Chief Secretary Finance and Personnel Prabodh Saxena said that Himachal Pradesh is second state after Kerala in Sustainable Developmental Goals of NITI Aayog.

President State NGO Federation Ashwani Thakur said that even during the pandemic, the state government unlike several other states ensured that the employees get their salary and dues well in time.