The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has sparked widespread anger among state employees by rolling back the BJP-era pay revision and effectively slashing the monthly salaries of nearly 14,000 government staff across 89 categories. The move, which comes in the midst of a severe financial crisis, has led to pay cuts ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 for clerks, drivers, nurses, technicians, and school staff sections already struggling with delayed allowances and mounting household expenses.
The state cabinet amended the Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules with retrospective effect from January 1, 2016. The key change lies in the withdrawal of Section 7A, which had raised the pay revision multiplier from 2.25 to 2.59. With this recalibration, the revised multiplier now stands at 2.25, instantly dragging down salaries for thousands of employees.
While the government has clarified that it will not seek recovery of “excess” salaries already paid, employees argue the damage is already done. Most of them had factored in the higher pay scale while planning family budgets, education expenses, EMIs, and loans. Now, they are left grappling with sudden financial uncertainty.
The rollback has been described by employee unions as nothing short of a betrayal. The Secretariat Services Employees Organisation and other associations have condemned the decision, warning that it will severely dent staff morale at a time when public servants are already stretched thin.
“This is not just about salaries, it is about dignity. Families have already built their lives around the revised pay. Reversing it after years is unfair and destabilising,” said a senior union leader.
Unions are preparing to meet Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and top officials to demand an immediate rollback of the notification and restoration of the 2022 pay hike that had given some relief to junior employees.
The impact is not merely financial but also psychological. Employees, especially in the lower cadres, now face a pay erosion of Rs 10,000–15,000 per month. For many, this translates into a loss of children’s tuition fees, health expenses, or the inability to repay loans.
The discontent threatens to snowball into a larger confrontation between the Congress government and its employees, with unions hinting at statewide protests if demands are ignored.
The timing of this rollback is telling. Himachal Pradesh is reeling under an unprecedented fiscal crunch, with a Rs 6,200 crore borrowing limit almost breached. Analysts say the rollback is a desperate attempt to contain expenditure and rein in the state’s ballooning debt.
Critics, however, point out that the government’s inability to manage finances has led to employees being made scapegoats. “This is a direct fallout of the Congress government’s financial mismanagement. Instead of addressing systemic inefficiencies, they are punishing employees who form the backbone of governance,” remarked a political observer.
“The same Congress which promised KhataKhat benefits is now snatching away salaries. This is not governance, this is betrayal,” said a BJP spokesperson.
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