HP govt would spends 900 Cr on Old Pension Scheme this year CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Congress government would generate the extra resources tune to Rs 900 Crore this year  including   monthly contribution of 14 pc and ten percent state and employee share in the NPS as around one lakh and 36 thousands state Employees to be covered under the OPS restored  today. Addressing media persons after council of ministers meeting to gave nod to OPS scheme Mr Sukhu stated that government have recently levied Rs three per liter as increased VAT to generate extra resources for the purpose. He said that in border state like Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana diesel is Rs seven per liter dearer to Himachal. Therefore to generate extra resources and bring prices nearer to other states Diesel VAT us hiked however it is still Rs four per liter cheaper in the state of Himachal Pradesh. He said that it was not difficult to compensate the extra burden of state resources for this decision however due to apathy of Modi government did not refunded at  Rs 8000 Crore corpus of NPS to Himachal. He said that Congress government was committed to fulfill Election promise and state government after going through state finance devise a mechanism to create extra resources for implementing the scheme. Mr Sukhu stated that OPS would be notified by today or tomorrow but Congress party would not deferred this decision further due to reasons of empty state coffer.  Chief Minister said that after taking over the government he came to know that arrears of the employees tunes to 9000 crores and that of DA is more than 1000 crores. are pending to release the state Employees. Lashing out the previous BJP rule Mr Sukhu said that Jai Ram Thakur Government announced to implement sixth pay commission on the last year of his government and  total arrears of Rs 11,000 crore are outstanding to be released to state Employees. He said that Rs 1000 Crore arears of Employees and pensioners are bound to pay by his government this year moreover his government inherited public debt of Rs 74,000 crore from previous government. He said that in fact previous government handed over total liabilities and debt burden tune to Rs 91000 Cr as liabilities of Rs 11000 Cr towards state Employees and 5000 Cr on around new 900 Institution opened in last year have to be share by his government. He said that Former Government which claimed to be double engine government ruined the financial management of state by indulging unproductive expenditure like opening of Institutions in last year of irs rule neither assisted by Centre Government nor created own resources . He said that in  such a situation, Congress government decided to denotified 900 Institutions and  sought time of 3 to 4 years from the employees for its payment areas pending since last government. He said that Government may announced release of arrears on account of sixth pay commission as soon as it would generate enough resources which may take three to four years but if achieved soon Government may release it within sixth month. Referring to implement ten grantee given in Election manifesto by Congress he said that one grantee of OPS is full filed today and two grantee of providing Rs 1500 monthly pension or assistance to non Employees women between age group of 18 to 60 also listed for Cabinet agenda. He said that to provide employment to one lakh unemployed  also figured in Cabinet agenda. He said that  Çabinet decided to constitute two separate  committee comprising of Chander Kumar,(Chairman)DR Shandil and Anirudh Singh and Harashvardhan Chauhan (Chairman) , Jagat Singh Negi and Rohit Thakur . First Committee would work out on the new women pension scheme and fixed rule and regulation and second Committee about employment creation scheme. Chief minister said that two Committee would give its report by next month before February 13. He said that two grantee schemes would be implemented within one months and rest seven during next five years of this Government. Mr Sukhu stated that hus government learned from state of Chattisgarh to create own resources to fund OPS for time being and 

cabinet meeting offered gift of  Lohri on Friday to benefit 1.18 lakh employees and 13,200 NPS employees have retired in the state. Mr Sukhu stated that keeping the interest of state and its increasing debt burden during next five years Government may have to take more hard steps.