7th Pay Commission: Central government employees are eagerly anticipating the recommendations of the Eighth Pay Commission. Once implemented, these recommendations are expected to lead to a revision in their salaries. In this context, the Himachal Pradesh government has made a notable move by significantly raising the salaries of certain employees.
Who received a salary increase?
This week, the Himachal Pradesh government approved a remarkable 78% increase in the monthly salaries of contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) as per the 7th Pay Commission, according to state officials. A statement from Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu’s administration indicated that this historic raise aims to attract specialist doctors to work in government healthcare facilities and enhance the quality of healthcare services in remote regions.
What is the salary increase for 2026?
The state government has sanctioned a 78% salary boost, raising the monthly pay for contract and trainee medical officers (specialists) from Rs 33,600 to Rs 60,000. This increase follows a previous 24% hike (from Rs 27,000 to Rs 33,660 per month) in 2022, which was based on the recommendations of the 6th CPC.
As reported by ANI, the government had also raised the monthly stipends for postgraduate (PG) medical students enrolled in government medical colleges. For first-year PG students, the stipend rose from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. Second-year PG students saw their stipend increase from Rs 45,000 to Rs 60,000. Additionally, third-year PG students’ stipends went up from Rs 50,000 to Rs 65,000. The monthly stipend for senior residents and tutor specialists has been raised from Rs 60,000–Rs 65,000 to Rs 100,000, while the stipend for super specialists and senior residents (super specialists) has increased from Rs 60,000–Rs 65,000 to Rs 130,000.
It should be noted that in June, the Himachal Pradesh government had said it was reviewing DA and pending arrears for state employees and pensioners, following a high-level meeting of the Finance Department, which reviewed the state’s financial situation.
Following this, the Himachal Chief Minister described government employees as the backbone of the state and stated that funds would be made available to pay arrears. According to the Chief Minister, the Finance Department has been directed to withdraw its notice withholding salaries. Sukhu also directed the department to release pending pension arrears for all pensioners between the ages of 65 and 70, which will be paid next month.