Himachal CM presides over consultative committee meeting for pensioners

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 1 (ANI): The pension allowance in Himachal Pradesh, which presently was being provided to the pensioners at the age of 65 years, 70 years and 75 years, would now be given on the revised pension which would provide financial benefits worth Rs 130 crore annually to the pensioners.
This was stated by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the Joint Consultative Committee for Pensioners of the state held here today.
Jai Ram Thakur announced the revision of pension/family pension of pre-2016 pensioners/family pension at the rate of 50 per cent and 30 per cent of the notionally revised pay in levels of the pay matrix with effect from January 1, 2016 . Finance Department would soon issue orders in this respect.
He announced that pensioners would be issued identity cards at the earliest and announced Rs 25 crore for payment of medical reimbursement bills.
Chief Minister said that there were 2,40,640 employees and 1,90,000 pensioners in the government and PSUs in the state and were being provided all their dues well in time.
He said that pension and family pension and other retirement benefits of the pensioners were revised with effect from January 1, 2016.
According to an official release, he said that minimum pension and family pension was revised from Rs 3500 to Rs. 9000 per month w.e.f. 1st January, 2016.
He said that the maximum limit of gratuity was enhanced from the present Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and interim relief at the rate of 8 per cent and four per cent was granted w.e.f. 1st January, 2016 and July 1, 2018.
He said that the dearness allowance of the employees and pensioners was enhanced from time to time. The Chief Minister said that after the revision of the pay scale w.e.f. January 1, 2016, Dearness Relief to the pensioners was enhanced from 17 per cent to 31 per cent with effect from July 1, 2021.
Vice Chairman HP Employees and Pensioners Welfare Board, Ghanshyam Sharma, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for holding the JCC meeting to ponder over various issues of the pensioners of the State.
He also thanked the Chief Minister that despite the corona pandemic, the employees and pensioners of the employees got their dues well in time. He said that credit of this goes to the effective management by the Chief Minister and his team of officers.
Secretary Finance Dr Akshay Sood made a detailed presentation on various benefits being provided to the employees and pensioners of the state. (ANI)