Shimla, Oct. 23 -- In a Diwali bonanza for state government employees, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday announced a 5 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) and an additional payment of Rs 10,000 for Class IV employees.
Sukhu also rebutted the BJP's claim that the state's loan liability had crossed Rs 1.20 lakh crore, pegging the outstanding debt at Rs 99,461 crore as of October 22, 2026.
Addressing media persons here, Sukhu said, "In addition, the remaining 1 per cent DA, which was pending after the earlier release of 3 per cent, is also being released, taking the total DA hike to 5 per cent. I assure all of you that we will move forward step by step, working shoulder-to-shoulder with government employee...