Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday announced three per cent dearness allowance to State Government employees payable from July 1, 2017. The gift from the Chief Minister, who took oath of office and secrecy only a day before, came while he was addressing all five secretariat employee unions who had gathered to honour him.
The DA will be released in cash with the salary of January, 2018 payable on February 1, 2018. The CM said that three per cent dearness relief will also be paid to pensioners of the State Government. The total financial implications of this will be around Rs180 crore per annum.
"The State Government is committed to the welfare of the employees, as they play a pivotal role in implementing the policies and programmes of the Government," he said.
Thakur said that the employees should work dedicatedly and sincerely and should not take government job as secondary. Though the Government endeavours to provide jobs in the government sector, but I do believe that the mindset for only seeking Government jobs be eschewed. He said that one should also work beyond the duty hours to give enough time to the society and for the benefit of the people.
"We have always maintained cordial relations with the employees and I wish that the tradition would be continued in future as well", he said adding that the Government will extend its supportive hand for the benefit of the employees.
There was no age to learn and one should learn at every stage of life, said the Chief Minister. I am open to the suggestions anytime and I believe that suggestion by a common man can be fruitful in life and can be a turning point for betterment in the life, he said.
Earlier, President, H.P. Secretariat Services Confederation Sanjeev Sharma, General Secretary of Confederation Kamal Krishan Sharma, President, Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Gazetted Officer Association Manmohan Jassal, President, H.P. Secretariat Private Secretaries/Personal Assistants Association Rajesh Bhardwaj, General Secretary H.P. Drivers Association Mahender Sharma, President H.P. Secretariat Class –IV Employees Association Tek Ram Sharma welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for releasing three percent dearness allowance to employees and pensioners of the State Government.
Cabinet Ministers Mahender Singh Thakur, Suresh Bhardwaj, Anil Sharma, Ram lal Markanda, Virender Kanwar, Chief Secretary V.C. Pharka, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Manisha Nanda, Principal Secretaries and other senior officers of State Government were also present.