Shimla: Discontent among state employees has reached a boiling point as members of the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Service Federation took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against the non-payment of revised arrears for Dearness Allowance (DA) and the sixth pay scale. The demonstration was held at the Armsdale Bhawan within the state secretariat, drawing significant attention to the ongoing grievances of the employees.
The protest highlighted multiple issues that have been plaguing for months. One primary concern was the alarming number of vacant posts within the secretariat. “About 750 posts are lying vacant in the secretariat, leading to an increased workload for the existing staff. Despite this, there has been no effort to address the pay-fixation issues that have been pending for a long time,” Sanjeev Sharma, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Service Federation stated.
Another major issue brought to the forefront was the non-release of the revised seniority list for employees serving on a contract basis. The delay in issuing this list has created uncertainty and frustration among many employees who are unsure about their future within the service.
However, the most pressing grievance remains the non-payment of revised DA-arrears and pay scale arrears. Sharma pointed out that during the previous government’s tenure, employees received a mere Rs 50,000 in the name of pay arrears, which was far from sufficient to cover the revised amounts owed to them. “The lack of adequate payment has caused widespread dissatisfaction among the employees. We have been waiting for these arrears for a long time, and our patience is running thin,” he added.
The protest at the secretariat underscores the growing unrest among government employees in Himachal Pradesh, who feel that their concerns are being ignored. The Federation has demanded immediate action from the state government to resolve these issues and ensure that employees receive their rightful dues.
The state government has yet to issue a response to the demands. The employees, however, have made it clear that they will continue to press for their rights until their grievances are addressed.
