Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): Employees of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), backed by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), on Thursday warned of an intensified agitation and threatened to suspend services if their August salary is not released immediately.
The employees said they have been waiting for their salary for one month and 24 days and warned that they may even stop VIP and hospitality services during the proposed visit of the President of India to Himachal Pradesh next week if the government and HPTDC management fail to resolve the issue.
BMS Himachal Pradesh president Madan Lal, while addressing a press conference in Shimla, said the salary of HPTDC employees for August 2026 had still not been released and demanded its immediate payment.
He alleged that the corporation's hotels and other profitable units were generating revenue, but employees were being denied their salaries. Lal warned that the BMS would launch a major agitation if the issue was not resolved.
"The salary for August has not been released even after one month and 24 days. The employees who work day and night to provide hospitality and services are being made to wait for their basic wages," Lal said.
He also alleged that there were attempts to hand over profitable HPTDC hotels to private parties, claiming that the corporation's employees had never been responsible for the losses being attributed to the organisation.
Lal said the BMS would take the issue across the state and warned that employees would oppose the entry of ministers, officials or other VIPs into HPTDC hotels if their salary-related demands were not addressed.
BMS Himachal Pradesh vice-president Dinesh Sharma, while speaking to ANI, said around 1,000 regular employees and nearly 550 other workers associated with HPTDC were facing difficulties because of the delay in salary payment.
"Today is September 24, and it has been one month and 24 days. There is no clarity on when the salary will be released. Employees have families to support, rent to pay and medicines to purchase. Many elderly family members depend on these salaries," Sharma said.
He questioned why salaries were being delayed despite the corporation's revenue crossing the Rs 100-crore mark and said employees should not be made to suffer because of financial or management-related issues.
Sharma demanded that the state government provide financial assistance or grant support to HPTDC, as had been done earlier, to ensure that employees receive their salaries on time.
He said that over the past four years, employees had repeatedly received their salaries late, with payments sometimes being made on different dates of the month, but the present delay had caused serious concern among the workforce.
"We are working despite these circumstances, but the government must understand the difficulties of the employees. If the salary is not released soon, we will formulate a strategy for further action," Sharma said.
HPTDC employee Hukum Ram said employees were being forced to wait for their wages despite continuing to perform their duties.
HPTDC Employees Union general secretary Raj Kumar Sharma, while speaking to ANI, said around 1,000 regular employees and more than 500 other workers had been deprived of their salaries.
"Salary is as essential as food. An employee has no other source of livelihood apart from his salary. It is very unfortunate that the employees and their families are being ignored," Raj Kumar Sharma said.
He alleged that while the corporation had substantial financial liabilities and other issues, the interests of employees and their families were being sidelined.
Raj Kumar Sharma said the union was prepared to take "tough decisions" if the government and HPTDC management failed to release the salary.
He specifically warned that the employees could consider suspending services during the upcoming visit of the President of India to Himachal Pradesh.
"We may even have to think about stopping services during the visit of the Honourable President. Keeping the coming tourist season in mind, we can decide to suspend services at our 56 hotels and other HPTDC establishments, including Delhi Bhawan, Bhawan Sadan Chandigarh and Bhawan Shimla, for a day," he said.
The union leader urged the state government and HPTDC management to release the pending salary within a day, saying the delay was affecting the morale of employees and creating financial difficulties for their families.
He said employees wanted to continue working and serving tourists, but timely payment of wages was essential to maintain their morale and ensure uninterrupted services.
The BMS and HPTDC employees' union said they would decide their next course of action if the pending salary was not released immediately. (ANI)
HPTDC employees threaten protest, service halt over non-payment of August salary
