HP CM announces 5% DA to employees, pensioners
Enhanced DA in effect from July 1, 2019
SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday, celebrated its 50th anniversary of attaining statehood, with chief minister Jai Ram Thakur presiding over an event at Jhandutta in Bilaspur to mark the occasion. Himachal Pradesh was declared a full-fledged state on this day in 1971.
On the grand occasion, the chief minister announced a 5% dearness allowance (DA) to government employees and pensioners. The enhanced DA will be applicable from July 1, 2019 and employees and pensioners will get benefits worth mor ethan ₹250 crore. He also announced the opening of a public works department (PWD) division at Jhandutta and a new building for Shaheed Ashwini Kumar Memorial School that will be constructed at an estimated ₹3 crore.
The CM said the golden jubilee year of the statehood will be celebrated through the year with 51 programmes across the state, which will trace the developmental journey of the state. He also unveiled the golden jubilee plaque on the occasion to mark the 50th Statehood Day.
Thakur said that in five decades, Himachal has witnessed unprecedented development in all spheres and the credit goes to the active support and cooperation of the people and successive governments.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
“When Himachal became a state, it had only 7740 km of roads, a literacy rate of 31%, only 4,963 educational institutions, 482 health institutions and only 2,944 villages had electricity,” said Thakur. He said the state today has a 37,207-km road network which connects 3,128 of 3,226 panchyats.
Thakur said the present regime completed two years in office on December 27, 2019 and significant efforts were made to provide benefits of developmental schemes in entire state.
MANY AWARDS
“We have also received national level awards for good governance, health, education, agriculture and horticulture in this period,” he said, adding that Himachal has been selected as the top state for achievements under sustainable development goals (SDGs).