Employees of the State are the backbone of the Government and play a major role in effective implementation of policies and programmes of the State Government, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Friday.
Addressing the function, ‘Ek Shaam Mandi Ke Karmchariyo Ke Saath’ organized by the employees of Mandi, Thakur said that the State Government had always maintained cordial relations with its employees as they play an important role in implementing the policies and programs of the government. He said that the ratio of employees to its population was maximum in the State and despite the pandemic most of the issues pertaining to the employees were resolved during this period. He said that the period of regularization of contract employees was reduced from three years to two years and the period of the daily wagers was also reduced by one year.
Thakur said that cordial relations of the State Government with its employees were not going well with the Congress leaders and a young Congress leader of the State even advised him to handle the employees with a tough hand, but he feels that what cannot be achieved with pressure can be achieved with compassion.
He said that the State Government had also decided to provide 50 percent concession on bus fare in HRTC buses to women, which would help lakhs of women employees working in Government and private sector. He said that the Congress leaders even opposed this decision of the State Government. He said that now the congress leaders were misleading the employees of the State in the name of OPS. He said that this was not possible without the assistance and cooperation of the Centre Government.
Thakur said that benefits of higher grade pay had been provided to 89 categories of employees by amending the pay revision rules issued on January 3, 2022 , besides providing benefits of UGC 7th Pay Scale to about 3,200 lecturers and professors working in various Universities and Colleges of the state. An estimated Rs. 337 crore would be spent on the revised UGC scale from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2022.
Chairman Employees Welfare Board Ghanshyam Sharma said that the employees of the State during the last about five years had always stood firmly with the State Government and the Chief Minister. He said that despite the pandemic the employees were provided all their dues by the State Government.