CM Sukhu announces 3% DA for employees and pensioners, new policy for outsourced staff

Ahead of Diwali, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a 3 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees and pensioners, to be credited with October salaries and pensions, payable in November.

Arrears for the period from April to September 2025 will also be deposited in employees’ bank accounts this month, while separate orders will be issued for arrears from July 2023 to March 2025.

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The Chief Minister made the announcement while inaugurating the Biennial General Convention of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Employees Union here on Wednesday.

Addressing the gathering, he said that after discussions with the union leaders, the government would consider extending the One Pension Scheme (OPS) to the employees of the Electricity Board. He emphasized that reforms in the Board were necessary and that the cooperation of employees was crucial for successful implementation.

Highlighting inefficiencies in the system, Sukhu pointed out that the cost of power generation at the Uhl project had reached Rs. 27 per unit, while the actual expenditure on employees was only Rs. 2.50 per unit. He attributed the high production cost to the excessive number of officers compared to employees, which deprived the workforce of due financial benefits.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had released Rs. 2,200 crore to ensure financial benefits for the employees of the HPSEBL.

“From 2023 to September 2025, pensioners received Rs. 662.81 crore in gratuity, medical reimbursements, leave encashment, and pension arrears, with another Rs. 70 crore to be disbursed by the end of the year,” he said, adding medical reimbursements had been centralized and were now disbursed weekly without any pending dues.

Sukhu directed the Board to introduce a compensation policy for outsourced employees in case of accidents and to clear all pending promotions immediately. He said that although the state government had implemented OPS, pressure from BJP leaders had prompted the central government to restrict additional borrowing.

He accused the Union government of repeatedly pressuring Himachal to withdraw OPS, noting that the state might face economic challenges in the next few months but would recover swiftly.The Chief Minister blamed the previous BJP government for the state’s financial distress, saying it had left behind a debt of Rs. 75,000 crore and employee liabilities of Rs. 10,000 crore.

“If employees are not receiving their benefits today, it is not due to the present government,” he said, adding that his administration was focused on making Himachal self-reliant.

He further stated that the previous BJP regime had opened 600 educational institutions before the 2022 Assembly elections without proper planning, forcing the present government to take tough decisions to rationalize them.
He highlighted that reforms introduced by his government had improved Himachal’s ranking in quality education from 21st to 5th place.

The Chief Minister also underlined reforms in health and medical infrastructure, including installation of PET Scans, 3-Tesla MRI machines, and robotic surgeries at Chamiana Hospital and Tanda Medical College.
He said Rs. 3,000 crore was being invested in modern medical technology.

Sukhu added that efforts were underway to strengthen the rural economy through higher procurement prices for milk and support prices for crops like wheat, maize, barley, and raw turmeric cultivated through natural farming.