Himachal's Discontent: A Battle Over Pension Schemes and Federal Support

Himachal Pradesh's ministers accuse the Centre of bias due to financial cuts, seeking a reversal on the old pension scheme. They demanded the return of Rs 9,000 crore from the Centre. Additionally, the Centre allegedly failed to assist after a natural disaster in 2023, further increasing discontent.

Ministers from Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh have accused the Centre of discriminatory practices, claiming the federal government cut financial support due to the state's decision to revert to the old pension scheme.

Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani jointly stated that the Centre has not returned Rs 9,000 crore under the National Pension Scheme, despite repeated requests, and instead continues to pressure the state to reintegrate employees into the National or Unified Pension Schemes.

In addition, they alleged that the Centre neglected to assist the state following a 2023 natural disaster, aggravating tensions over Himachal Pradesh's denied special status amid alleged conspiracies to halt its development.