Shimla, Aug 31 (UNI) The pension allowance which presently is being provided to the pensioners at the age of 65 years, 70 years and 75 years will now be given as per revised pension scheme which will 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 Wednesday.
HP Chief Minister announced that revision of pension/family pension of pre-2016 pensioners/family pension at the rate of 50 percent and 30 percent of the notionally revised pay in levels of the Pay Matrix with effect from 01.01.2016 and 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.
The Chief Minister said 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 pension and family pension and other retirement benefits of the pensioners were revised with effect from 1st January, 2016. He said minimum pension and family pension was revised from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 9,000 per month w.e.f. 1st January, 2016. Also, maximum limit of gratuity was enhanced from present Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh and interim relief at the rate of 8 per cent and four percent was granted w.e.f. 1st January, 2016 and 1st July, 2018.
He said the dearness allowance of the employees and pensioners was enhanced from time to time. The CM said after the revision of pay scale w.e.f. 1st January, 2016 Dearness Relief to the pensioners was enhanced from 17 per cent to 31 per cent w.e.f. 1st July, 2021.
Vice Chairman H.P. 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.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Prabodh Saxena welcomed the Chief Minister.
Secretary Finance Dr. Akshay Sood made a detailed presentation on various benefits being provided to the employees and pensioners of the State.
Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries were also present on the occasion.
UNI ML SY