Himachal announces 5% DA for employees, pensioners

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday announced 5 per cent dearness allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners.

Presiding over the 50th Statehood Day function at Jhandutta near here, he said the enhanced DA would be given from July 1 and cost over Rs 250 crore to the state exchequer.

He also announced the opening of a Public Works Department division at Jhandutta and Rs 3 crore for a building of Saheed Ashwini Kumar Memorial Senior Secondary School in Jhandutta.

He said the golden jubilee year of the statehood would be celebrated by organising 51 programmes throughout the year across Himachal to trace its developmental journey.

Earlier, the Chief Minister hoisted the national flag and took salute from the contingents of police, home guards and NCC cadets.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Ashok Rattan led the parade.

Recounting developments the state has witnessed in 49 years, Thakur said the length of roads was mere 7,740 km and the literacy rate was 31.3 per cent. Today, the state has a network of 37,207 km roads with 3,128 panchayats out of 3,226 connected with them.

Thakur said the present state government completed two year in the office on December 27, 2019 and significant efforts were made to provide benefits of developmental schemes to all areas and sections by launching new welfare and development-oriented schemes.

He said at the first meeting of the Cabinet, the present government reduced the age limit for receiving social security pension from 80 to 70 years without any income limit. With this decision, 1.30 lakh senior citizens were benefited.

Currently, the state has 2,63,798 senior citizens, who are receiving social security pension of Rs 1,500 per month.IANS