Himachal employees boycott work as rollback of higher grade pay stalls government offices
Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source Internet
Shimla, Sept 8,
A standoff over salaries has pushed Himachal Pradesh into a day of administrative disruption, as thousands of government employees abstained from work on Monday to protest the state’s decision to withdraw higher grade pay benefits.
While the demonstrations outside the Secretariat in Shimla and Deputy Commissioner offices across districts made headlines, the real impact was felt inside government buildings — files lying unattended, routine approvals delayed, and public services running on bare minimum staff. From revenue offices to health administration blocks, the boycott echoed in quieter hallways and unresponsive counters.
At the heart of the protest is the Finance Department’s notification issued on Saturday, which deleted Rule 7A from the Himachal Pradesh Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2022. The provision had entitled employees in 89 categories to higher pay scales after two years of service — a benefit extended during the previous Jairam Thakur regime. Its removal now translates to a pay cut of nearly Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month, a figure employees say could destabilize household budgets already strained by rising living costs.
“No recovery of the past amount has been ordered, but that offers little comfort when families are staring at reduced take-home pay going forward,” said Sanjeev Sharma, president of the Himachal Secretariat Services Employees Association. “This rollback doesn’t just hurt wallets; it hurts morale.”
Protests were not just symbolic gatherings but pointed “gate meetings” — a collective act of staying away from desks and converging at entry points of government offices. Slogans against the Congress government reverberated through the Secretariat gates in Shimla and across district headquarters, signaling a rare show of solidarity among diverse employee categories.
Union leaders claim that more than 10,000 employees will be directly impacted by the rollback. “We will meet the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to seek withdrawal. If the notification stays, the agitation will escalate statewide,” Sharma warned.
Beyond the slogans, however, lies a deeper anxiety. Many young employees, who had structured loans and household finances based on the higher grade pay, fear defaults. Meanwhile, senior officers caution that a prolonged impasse could delay everything from welfare disbursals to policy rollouts.
Meanwhile CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has stated that the said notification will be withdrawn and no salary reductions will take place. Though a revised notification in the matter is awaited.
For now, the government has sought to justify the rollback as a corrective measure to rein in the state’s stressed finances. But with Secretariat corridors emptied by protest and district offices running skeletal, the cost of the decision is already visible on both the administrative machinery and the personal lives of employees.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
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