The North News
Shimla, August 23
The government employees in Himachal Pradesh have threatened to launch a major protest if their pending dearness allowance (DA) is not released soon. At a press conference in Shimla, Himachal Adhyapak Sangh president and Joint Employees Federation leader Virendra Chauhan said 13 percent DA arrears remain unpaid. He accused the government of citing the state’s financial condition as an excuse to delay payments.
“When the government cannot even release DA, how will it implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)?” Chauhan asked. He said anger among employees is rising and warned that if DA is not released promptly, staff will be forced to take to the streets. Chauhan pointed out that Chief Minister had announced 3 percent DA during the budget session in May, but the payment was still pending by August. “The government says there is no shortage of funds, yet employees are being denied DA. If this continues, employees will unite for a bigger movement,” he said.
He also raised concerns about vacant posts in the education department. According to Chauhan, the shortage of teachers is affecting the quality of education and reducing enrolment in government schools. He urged the government to expedite recruitment through the commission instead of closing down schools.
