Employees working for the Government of Himachal Pradesh are facing salary delays. Their salaries which were earlier deposited in their accounts by the first week of every month have not been credited even after two weeks. The fact that the state government is facing a scarcity of funds is only adding to the anxiety of the employees.
Around 15,000 employees from various departments including forest, water management, state transport and even medical colleges have yet to receive their salaries. The maximum number of impacted staff belong to the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).
It is reported that the government’s treasury is already facing a debt of Rs 1,000 crore, and an additional loan of Rs 800 crore has also been sought. However, this loan will still not be enough to clear the overdraft.
The paucity of funds is attributed to the poor management of budget and also because freebies were distributed generously during the elections.
Considering that the previous loan of Rs 11,000 crore is still to be paid off and the burden of its interest is still being borne, the financial situation of the state does not look good at all.
Additionally, there is a cap on the loan that the state government can seek from the Centre. The limit, which was earlier 5 per cent, has now been reduced to 3.5 per cent of Himachal’s gross domestic product or GDP.
