Himachal govt. announces OPS restoration in its First cabinet meeting

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Congress government would generate the extra resources to the tune of Rs 900 Crore this year including monthly contribution of 14 pc and ten percent state and employee share in the NPS as around one lakh and 36,000 state Employees to be covered under the OPS restored today.
Addressing media persons after council of ministers meeting gave nod to OPS scheme, Mr. Sukhu stated that the government has recently levied Rs 3 per litre as increased VAT to generate extra resources for the purpose.
He said in border states like Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana diesel is Rs seven per litre dearer to Himachal.
Therefore, to generate extra resources and bring prices similar to other states, Diesel VAT is hiked, however it is still Rs four per litre cheaper in the state of Himachal Pradesh. He said it was not difficult to compensate the extra burden of state resources for this decision. However, due to apathy of Modi government Rs 8000 Crore corpus of NPS to Himachal was not refunded.
He said the Congress government was committed to fulfill Election promise and state government after going through state finance devise a mechanism to create extra resources for implementing the scheme. Mr Sukhu stated that OPS would be notified by today or tomorrow but Congress party would not defer this decision further due to reasons of empty state coffer.
Chief Minister said after taking over the government he came to know that arrears of the employees to the tune to 9000 crores and that of DA is more than 1000 crores. are pending to be released to the state Employees. Lashing out the previous BJP rule, Mr Sukhu said Jai Ram Thakur Government announced to implement sixth pay commission on the last year of his government and total arrears of Rs 11,000 crore are outstanding to be released to state Employees. He said that Rs 1000 Crore arears of Employees and pensioners are bound to pay by his government this year moreover his government inherited public debt of Rs 74,000 crore from previous government. He said in fact previous government handed over total liabilities and debt burden tune to Rs 91,000 Cr as liabilities of Rs 11000 Cr towards state Employees and 5000 Cr on around new 900 Institution opened in last year have to be share by his government.
He said former Government which claimed to be double engine government ruined the financial management of state by indulging unproductive expenditure like opening of Institutions in last year of its rule neither assisted by Centre Government nor created own resources.
He said in such a situation, Congress government decided to denitrify 900 Institutions and sought time of 3 to 4 years from the employees for its payment areas pending since last government. He said Government may announce release of arrears on account of sixth pay commission as soon as it would generate enough resources which may take three to four years but if achieved soon Government may release it within sixth months. Referring to implement ten gurantee given in Election manifesto by Congress he said one guarantee of OPS is fulfilled today and two guarantee of providing Rs 1500 monthly pension or assistance to non-Employees women between age group of 18 to 60 also listed for Çabinet agenda.
He said to provide employment to one lakh unemployed also figured in Cabinet agenda. He said that Çabinet decided to constitue two separate committee comprising of Chander Kumar, (Chairman), Dr. Shandil and Anirudh Singh and Harshvardhan Chauhan (Chairman) , Jagat Singh Negi and Rohit Thakur. First Committee would work out on the new women pension scheme and fixed rule and regulation and second Committee about employment creation scheme. Chief minister said that two Committee would give its report by next month before February 13. He said that two garunttee schemes would be implemented within one months and rest seven during next five years of this Government. Mr. Sukhu stated that his government learned from state of Chattisgarh to create own resources to fund OPS for time being and
A cabinet meeting offered gift of Lohri on Friday to benefit 1.18 lakh employees and 13,200 NPS employees have retired in the state. Mr Sukhu stated that keeping the interest of state and its increasing debt burden during next five years Goverment may have to take more hard steps. (UNI)