Himachal Pradesh govt decides to issue amended pensions for 1.73 lakh pensioners from Feb 1

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided on Monday to issue amended pensions and family pensions to roughly 1.73 lakh pensioners in the state from February 1, said an official spokesperson to PTI.

The chief minister Jai Ram Thakur chaired the state cabinet meeting that made the decision, he added.

According to the spokesperson, about 43,000 employees who retired between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021, will get revised pension and gratuity, as per PTI reported.

He stated that from January 1, 2016, the minimum pension and family pension will be increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 9,000 per month.

The state cabinet also approved raising the maximum gratuity limit from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, effective January 1, 2016, for NPS employees, he added.

According to the spokesperson, pensioners and family pensioners above the age of 80 would get an extra pension benefit on their revised pension and family pension.

From July 1, 2021, the cabinet also decided to offer 31% dearness relief to pensioners.

The revision of pensions will result in an additional annual cost of Rs 1,785 crore. He noted that the state government has already offered interim relief to pensioners in the amount of Rs 1,450.44 crore, as per PTI mentioned.

The cabinet also approved the acquisition and deployment of 50 additional ambulances under the 108 National Ambulance Services, which would provide free transportation to patients in need of immediate treatment.