Himachal Pradesh Faces Financial Strain Amid Pension Arrears and Employee Protests

The Himachal Pradesh government is set to clear Rs 8,555 crore in employee and pensioner arrears after 2025-26. Chief Minister Sukhu blamed past administration for a Rs 10,000 crore liability. Protests rose over pending payments, while some arrears for older groups have been cleared, impacting state economic stability.

In a pivotal move, the Himachal Pradesh government announced its intention to clear Rs 8,555 crore worth of arrears in employee and pensioner salaries post-2025-26, as stated by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Addressing the state assembly, Sukhu attributed the financial backlog to the previous BJP administration, which left a liability exceeding Rs 10,000 crore from 2016 to 2021.

The Chief Minister highlighted measures taken to alleviate arrears for senior groups, while unrest among employees continues due to delayed payments.

(With inputs from agencies.)