Budget 2024: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the central government had stopped the payment of Dearness Allowance or DA of central employees and Dearness Relief or DR of pensioners for 18 months from January 2020 to June 2021.
Budget 2024: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the central government had stopped the payment of Dearness Allowance or DA of central employees and Dearness Relief or DR of pensioners for 18 months from January 2020 to June 2021. Now it is expected that this DA and DR arrears can be given to central employees and pensioners. The Modi government has received a proposal to release 18 months of DA arrears and it is likely that the government may announce it in the full budget 2024 to be presented on July 23.
Demand for DA arrears
Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary, Joint Consultative Machinery for Central Government Employees, National Council (Employees Side), has urged the government to release the DA arrears of 18 months that were stopped earlier. Earlier, Mukesh Singh, General Secretary, Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh had also demanded the central government to release the payment.
DA stopped in Covid not received yet
DA arrears of 18 months are still pending. In a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Shiv Gopal Mishra has said that three installments of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for the financial year 2020-21 were stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, now that the country is gradually recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the financial situation is improving and it is a matter of happiness.
Proposal of 18 months DA arrears
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mishra, as Secretary (Employee Side) of the National Council (JCM), pointed out that the issue of 18 months DA arrears is important for central government employees and pensioners. If the government accepts this proposal, employees can get a large amount in salary, which will help them in times of inflation.
Announcement can be made in the budget
If the Modi government accepts the proposal of 18 months DA arrears, it will be a relief news for lakhs of central employees and pensioners. The government’s announcement on this issue is eagerly awaited in the upcoming budget.
