Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, October 18
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has appealed to party workers and the public to ignore social media speculation over the appointment of the new state Congress president. While taling to reporters, the Chief Minister said that the final decision would be announced by the party’s high command by the end of October or the first week of November.
Returning from a two-day visit to Delhi, Sukhu said the leadership will decide the name and make it public at the appropriate time. “There is no need to pay attention to rumours,” he told reporters in Shimla, while also extending Diwali greetings to residents of the state.
The Chief Minister also addressed concerns raised by HRTC employees and pensioners. He said his government had cleared pending dues of pensioners aged above 75 despite financial constraints, unlike the previous administration which, he alleged, failed to settle liabilities even after receiving additional RDG grants.
Sukhu added that a 3% Dearness Allowance (DA) has been released for employees and pensioners, and arrears from April to September have already been credited to their accounts ahead of Diwali.
On HRTC protests, the CM said the state provides an annual grant of ₹57 crore to the corporation but emphasised the need for it to improve its own revenue generation. He announced an additional grant of ₹10 crore to HRTC for Diwali.
Responding to opposition criticism over disaster relief, Sukhu said the state was reaching all affected areas. People who lost their homes are being provided ₹7 lakh for rebuilding and an additional ₹70,000 for belongings.
He added that while Narendra Modi had announced ₹1,500 crore in central assistance, the state is still awaiting the funds. If the aid does not arrive, he said, the state government will continue relief efforts on its own.
