Himachal govt removes Rule 7A from Civil Services Revised Pay Rules, may spark employee protests

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 7 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh government has scrapped Rule 7A of the Himachal Pradesh Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2022, a move expected to trigger widespread resentment among state employees.
In a notification issued by the Finance (Pay Revision) Department, the government said the Himachal Pradesh Civil Services (Revised Pay) Second Amendment Rules, 2025, will be deemed effective from January 3, 2022.
Under the amendment, Rule 7A -- earlier inserted in the 2022 pay rules stands omitted with retrospective effect from January 3, 2022. The pay of government employees will now be re-fixed as if the rule had never existed.

The notification clarifies that no recovery will be made in case of any overpayment detected due to the re-fixation.

While the government has not elaborated on the rationale behind removing Rule 7A, employee unions are expected to stage major protests in the coming days, alleging that the rollback adversely affects their pay benefits.
The order was issued under the proviso to Article 309 and Clause (3) of Article 187 of the Constitution, read with the recruitment and service rules of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretariat.
Meanwhile, in view of the widespread destruction caused in the ongoing monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh, the state government has decided to relax norms under MGNREGA to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation. It would enable additional work to be undertaken in response to actual demand for employment in rural areas, particularly for the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that the State has suffered a massive loss due to cloudbursts, incessant rains, flash floods, and landslides, which have severely impacted agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and rural infrastructure. He assured that the Government is committed to extending all possible support to the affected people, a release said.
To accelerate restoration, Deputy Commissioners have been empowered to approve new works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) without waiting for prior approval from the Gram Sabha. Ex-post facto approval from the Gram Sabha, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad would be obtained later, keeping in view the practical impossibility of holding such a meeting during the prevailing weather conditions, it said. (ANI)