Himachal Pradesh authorities refuse to draw salaries for two months amid financial crisis in Indian state

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday (Aug 29), told the state assembly that all the state members and chief parliamentary secretaries won’t take salaries for two months as the Indian state is going through a financial crisis.

“After discussing in the cabinet, all the members of the cabinet decided that until the state sees good improvement in the coming times, we will not take any salary, nor TA, nor DA for two months,” the CMsaid.

“This is just a small amount, but a symbolic one. Apart from this, I also request all the MLAs to contribute in this regard,” headded.

Congress has 40 seats andBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) has 28 members in the 68-seat state assembly.

The opposition leader, former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, walked out of the assembly afterSukhu'sdeclaration.

“According to the information I have received, they will not take a salary for two months. They have just deferred it since there is a financial crisis in the state. You have created Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) which cannot be created as per the Constitution. You have given Cabinet, chairman status to many people and all facilities have been given to them. So definitely I believe this is not a solution to all the problems and they have requested all the MLAs,” the former CMsaid.

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Thakur also levelled allegationsof scamrelated to the new excise policy, saying, “Liquor vends were auctioned below the reserved prices. The number of liquor vends, especially of country-made liquor, was reduced. Contractors are selling liquor bottles at prices higher than the MRP printed on them. The entire excise policy was formulated only for the benefit of big players in the industry.”

Headded, “Bidding for several liquor vends was cancelled with the excuse that there were no bidders. The same vends were later allotted by the state government to its favourite liquor contractors.”

However, Sukhu, in response, asked the BJP MLAsThakur and Randhir Sharma to submit the complaint and assured them that an investigation would take place.

(With inputs from agencies)