Hitting back at Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after he blamed the BJP for not being able to provide financial benefits to the Himachal Pradesh Government employees and pensioners, former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that Virbhadra is misleading the people of State.
“Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is claiming that the BJP and Model Code of Conduct is creating hurdles in giving the due financial benefits to the State Government employees and pensioners. This is absolute lie,” said Dhumal
“The fact is that state’s financial health is in bad shape due to poor economic policies of the State Government. When the Central Government and neighbhouring States have given dearness allowance to their employees from January 1, then why has State lagged behindIJ” added Dhumal.
He claimed that during the BJP Government’s tenure, relation between employees and the State Government was very cordial and financial and promotional benefits to the employees and pensioners were never delayed.
“BJP have provided the wages to the employees and pensioners on the recommendation of Punjab wage boards, including the 4-9-14 scale which was recommended,” said Dhumal adding that the BJP had promised of granting 4-9-14 scale since 2009 but the Congress befooled the people during Assembly elections and said in its manifesto that the scale will be given from 2006.
“After the formation of Congress Government in the State, it overruled the BJP Government’s decision to grant the scale from 2009 and made it 2012 which was injustice to the employees,” said Dhumal.
He said the BJP will be happy if the State Government takes permission from the Election Commission and gives due financial benefits to the employees and pensioners but this State Government is anti-employees and does not even have provisions to grant the benefits to them.
“Employees are annoyed with the State Government as it has failed to deliver the promises made in its election manifesto and poor policies of the Government had resulted in delay of 15 months for their financial benefits,” he said, adding that now the employees have understood the reality of the Government and can’t be fooled by the Chief Minister, time and again on the issue.