Dearness Allowance Increased. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday ordered payment of dearness allowance at an enhanced rate of 14 per cent to government employees, teachers and pensioners with effect from January 1, 2022.
Along with this, Stalin also announced a festive gift of Rs 3,000 to C and D category employees, Rs 1,000 to special pay category employees and Rs 500 to pensioners on the occasion of Pongal.
Pongal, the main festival of Tamil Nadu, will be celebrated on January 14. According to the order issued by the state government, increasing dearness allowance from 17 percent to 31 percent will cost the exchequer Rs 8,724 crore. At the same time, the combined weight of the gift amount on Pongal will be Rs 169.56 crore.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister has taken the decision to increase the dearness allowance and give Pongal gifts keeping in view the welfare of all state employees and pensioners, despite fears of increasing fiscal burden.
Stalin had said in the assembly on September 7, 2021 that the dearness allowance of employees and pensioners would be increased three months in advance. In the revised budget for the year 2021-22, it was said that the increase in dearness allowance of employees and pensioners would be implemented from
April 1, 2022. But now dearness allowance will be given at an increased rate from January 1, 2022. This decision will benefit about 16 lakh state employees, teachers and pensioners.
