Shimla, April 20
The Himachal Pradesh government has deferred a portion of salaries of its officers and employees for six months starting May 2026 as part of measures to manage the state’s financial resources, according to a Finance Department notification issued on Sunday.
Under the order, 30 percent of the salaries of the senior-most officials, including the chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries,the Director General of Police, the Additional Directors General of Police, and top forest officials, will be deferred during this period. For another category comprising secretaries, heads of departments, police officers up to the rank of superintendent of police, and forest officials up to the district forest officer level, 20 percent of salaries will be deferred.
The notification states that the measure is temporary and that the deferred portion will be released at a later stage, depending on the state’s financial position. It also clarifies that the deferred amount will not be treated as a deduction and will continue to be counted for service-related benefits such as pension and leave encashment.
The government has also indicated that similar steps should be adopted by boards, corporations, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, and universities that receive state financial support.
The move follows an announcement by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the March 21 presentation of the 2026-27 budget. At the time, he had said that 50 percent of his own salary would be deferred for six months, along with 30 per cent of cabinet ministers’ salaries and 20 per cent of MLAs’ salaries.
The decision is aimed at streamlining expenditure and improving financial management, with the government describing it as a collective effort amid fiscal pressure.
