Delegation Of Non Gazetted Employees Federation Calls On Chief Minister With Demands

Shimla, March 6: A delegation of the Non Gazetted Employees Federation led by President Pradeep Thakur met Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the Secretariat and presented its demands before the state budget. The meeting was, therefore, critically important given the fact that employee-related issues need to be catered for in the next budget, the Federation said.

Urging to fill vacant posts in different departments as per the state level, Pradeep Thakur said that the delegation submitted some of the burning issues to the Chief Minister. They also recommended the regularization of contract employees who have served for two years, demanding the continuation of bi-annual regularizations practiced earlier. Federation demanded notifying the regularization of employees who will finish the two-month period by March 31, to be issued before March 20.

Other major demands included the payment of pending dearness allowances, clearing pending amounts according to the 2016 Pay Commission, and addressing salary discrepancies in various departments. Besides this, the Federation demanded restoration of the old pension scheme for the employees of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Corporation, District Council and employees working in other departments whose employees are not covered.

It had also suggested raising the state employees’ retirement age to 60, which would mean Class IV employees will retire at the age of 60 instead of 58. Other demands included re-designation of various worker posts in different departments; appointment of multi-task workers and vaccinators in the Animal Husbandry Department; regularisation of employees under the Chief Minister’s Arogya Pashudhan Yojana.

The Federation also highlighted the need for timely departmental-wise promotion, settlement of compassionate ground cases, post creation in Mandi’s Zonal Hospital, and permanent policy for Mid-day Meal workers, Anganwadi helpers, and outsourced workers.

The Chief Minister Sukhu patiently listened to the Federation concerns and assured solving all these issues soon. State General Secretary Bharat Sharma, Arvind, Vijay Kashmir, and other officials were also present in the meeting.