By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Tuesday announced the release of dearness allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners to mark the completion of four decades of attaining statehood.
Speaking at a state-level function at Hamirpur town, some 175 km from here, Dhumal announced the release of 10 percent DA, effective from July 1, 2010.
“The employees will get DA in cash from January 2011 and arrears would be credited in their general provident fund accounts,” he said.
To woo the fruit growers, he said a modern market yard to be set up at a cost of Rs.100 crore at Parala in upper Shimla will be completed within the timeframe.
He said that when Himachal Pradesh was accorded statehood, its per capita income was Rs.651, which rose to Rs.49,211 last year.
Similarly, the gross state product has increased from Rs.223 crore to Rs.42,278 crore, the chief minister said.
“Even the literacy percentage, which was only 23 percent in 1971, has gone up to 84 percent in 2010,” he said.
Dhumal said special emphasis was given on women empowerment.
“During the recently concluded panchayati raj institutions elections, more than 58 percent women got elected at various posts. This is a major step towards women empowerment,” he said.
The state’s economy is highly dependent on horticulture, besides hydroelectric power and tourism, with the fruit industry worth about Rs.2,000 crore (Rs.20 billion) per year.