DA news: Himachal Pradesh to release dearness allowance installment for Diwali? CM Sukhu says…

DA news: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during a public meeting in Kaza, during his two-day visit to Spiti valley, said the state government is considering releasing a Dearness Allowance instalment on Diwali, PTI reported.

The chief minister stressed that his government was paying special attention to the development of the populations living in the areas within cold desert regions. He was in the region to announce that a tunnel would be constructed under Kunzum Pass to provide better year-round road connectivity to locals and tourists, it added.

Sukhu added that ₹500 crore would be spent on Spiti‘s development in the coming years and a survey would also be conducted for the construction of a heliport in Kaza to boost tourism activities and benefit residents.

Welfare measures, additional ₹20,000 in salary arrears

Earlier in July, Sukhu said the state is reviewing DA and pending arrears for state employees and pensioners. He said the state’s fiscal situation was reviewed at a high-level meeting of the Finance Department.

Then in August, speaking at Dehra in Kangra, he assured government workers that the state is committed to welfare of employees and pensioners, adding that DA will also be provided in due course. He had also announced that full arrears, leave encashment and gratuity was paid to pensioners over 67 years, PTI reported.

Sukhu also announced that Class-IV employees who retired between 1 January 2016 and 31 January 2022, would receive an additional ₹20,000 over and above their salary arrears. He added that directions would be issued to remove the condition related to basic pay for Class-I, Class-II and Class-III pensioners.

Sukhu also distributed cheques of financial assistance of ₹3,500 each to 800 fishermen under the ‘Mukhyamantri Machhuaara Samman Nidhi’ Yojana. This has been transferred directly into their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the report added.

78% jump in contract, trainee medical officers’ salary

In early August, the state also approved a 78% increase in the monthly salaries of contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) under the 7th Pay Commission, state officials said, as per another PTI report. This effectively raised the monthly pay of contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) from ₹33,600 to ₹60,000 per month, the report added.

The “historic” increase is expected to “encourage specialist doctors to serve in government healthcare institutions and help ensure the availability of quality healthcare services in remote areas”, a statement from Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s government said.

The government had earlier also increased the monthly stipend of postgraduate (PG) medical students studying in government medical colleges, ANI reported. The stipend is as follows:

• First-year PG students increased from ₹40,000-50,000,
• Second-year PG students increased from ₹45,000-60,000, and
• Third-year PG students, the amount increased from ₹50,000 to ₹65,000.

Similarly, the ANI report added that the government also acknowledged the role of Senior Residents and other specialist doctors in medical colleges. As such, the state government also increased their monthly stipends by 50-170% as follows:

• The monthly stipend of Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists increased from ₹60,000-65,000 to ₹1,00,000.
• Monthly stipend of Super Specialists and Senior Residents (Super Specialists) increased from ₹60,000-65,000 to ₹1,30,000.

(With inputs from Agencies)