The Himachal Pradesh government has issued a notification amending its Civil Services pay rules, a move that will affect nearly 14,000 state government employees across 89 categories. Under the HP Civil Services (Revised Pay) Second Amendment Rules, 2025, Section 7A of the rules – originally introduced on January 3, 2022 – is being omitted. The amendment involves re-fixing pay retrospectively from January 1, 2016, as if Section 7A had never been included.
With Section 7A removed, the multiplying factor used to calculate certain basic pay amounts is reduced from 2.59 to 2.25. The difference of 0.34 in this multiplier means that affected employees will see substantial reductions in their monthly take-home salaries. According to Business Standard, estimates suggest losses between ₹5,000 and ₹15,000 per month for those in the lower and middle pay bands. The government has clarified that no recovery will be made of any overpayments that may be detected during the pay re-fixation process.
The change is expected to impact those whose positions or grade pay had not been re-revised under the Revised Pay Rules of 2009, thus falling under the ambit of the older basic pay (as of December 31, 2015) for the purposes of the new calculations. Employees in central government service or those covered under revised UGC (University Grants Commission) pay scales are exempt from this amendment.
Employee unions have reacted strongly. Sanjeev Sharma, a representative of the Federation of Secretarial Employees Union, has expressed concern that many workers had structured their finances—monthly household expenses, loan repayments, children’s school fees—based on the earlier pay rules. He said employees plan to approach the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and the Principal Secretary (Finance) to request withdrawal of the revised pay-scale notification.
The government defended the measure by pointing out that the revised pay rules are being applied retrospectively, and that despite the adjustment many employees will receive a fixed pay that reflects past calculations (excluding Section 7A). Observers note that while the government has clarified that no retroactive overpayment recovery will be made, the income loss for affected staff may still cause significant financial strain.
Critics say the timing of the change and its sudden implementation without broad consultation has led to unrest among employees in Himachal Pradesh. Some have called the move inequitable, arguing that middle and lower level government service staff are being punished, especially those who had not benefited from periodic pay revisions in recent years.
Looking ahead, the reaction from worker unions will be pivotal. If the government withdraws or modifies the amendment, it would signal responsiveness to employee concerns. If the rule stays, it may lead to further unrest, possibly protests or legal challenges. The financial burden on the state versus employee welfare will likely become a central point in political discourse within Himachal in the coming weeks.
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