Austerity step: Now, Himachal govt staff on study leave to get 40% salary

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 9

Himachal Government employees, who avail of 24-month study leave, will no longer be entitled to full salary during this period. The state government has amended the rules and now the employees on sabbatical will get only 40 per cent of the full salary.

The Finance Department today amended the sub rule (5) of Rule 16 in the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, being followed in Himachal. As per the amendment, any employee proceeding on study leave abroad or in India will be entitled to only 40 per cent of the salary he drew on his last appointment along with dearness allowance and house rent allowance.

The decision is part of the Himachal Government’s initiatives to cut down on all possible expenditure to improve its financial health. The government had yesterday withdrawn the powers earlier delegated to the Administrative Departments to grant study leave up to two years to all its staff. The order of October 8, 1986, in this regard was withdrawn to pave the way for the new system. Now, the Finance Department will take any decision regarding the grant of study leave for two years.

The receipt of the leave period salary will also be subject to a certificate from the Finance Department that the officer is not in the receipt of any scholarship, stipend or remuneration in respect of any part-time employment. In case of the receipt of any scholarship, stipend or remuneration during study leave, this amount shall be adjusted against the leave salary.

The debt burden of the state has crossed Rs 85,000 crore and the government is finding it increasingly difficult to foot the salary and pension bill of its over 2.50 lakh serving and 1.90 lakh retired employees. The restoration of the old pension scheme has further added to the woes of the state government, forcing it to exercise fiscal prudence.

The total expenditure on salary, pension and interest payment was 46.33 per cent of the expenditure of the state government in 2023-24. The number of pensioners in the state at present is 1,89,466, which is expected to rise to 2,38,827 in 2030-31. This will result in an annual pension burden of around Rs 20,000 crore.

The annual salary and pension bill of the cash-strapped Himachal Government has mounted to Rs 26,722 crore amidst a grave financial crisis looming large in view of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) allocation from the Central Government coming to an end.

Tightening the belt

• The government had Thursday withdrawn the powers earlier delegated to the Administrative Departments to grant study leave up to two years to all its staff.
• The order of October 8, 1986, in this regard was withdrawn to pave the way for the new system.
• Now, the Finance Department will take any decision regarding the grant of study leave for two years.
• The debt burden of the state has crossed ~85,000 crore and the government is finding it increasingly difficult to foot the salary and pension bill of its over 2.50 lakh serving and 1.90 lakh retired employees
• The annual salary and pension bill of the cash-strapped Himachal Government has mounted to ~26,722 crore