Himachal pensioners protest in Shimla over pending dues

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Shimla, March 31

The retired government employees in Himachal Pradesh staged a protest in Shimla on Monday, accusing the state government of failing to clear long-pending financial dues and warning of a political backlash if their demands are not met. Members of the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners Joint Struggle Committee held a demonstration at Chaura Maidan, where they raised slogans against the government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and demanded immediate payment of pending benefits.

The pensioners said the government had not released gratuity and leave encashment dues for retirees who left service between 1 January 2016 and 31 January 2022, alleging that they had been subjected to “step-motherly treatment” for the past three years.

They also claimed that 13 percent dearness allowance (DA), arrears for 44 months and medical reimbursement bills worth crores of rupees were still pending, fuelling anger among retired employees.

Addressing the protest, members of the committee said pensioners had been forced to take to the streets because repeated demands had failed to yield results.

They warned that if the state government did not act soon and release their rightful dues, pensioners would intensify their agitation and campaign politically against the Congress-led administration.

The protest adds to growing pressure on the Himachal Pradesh government as it faces criticism from several employee and pensioner groups over delays in financial payments.