Budget 2024: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the central government had stopped the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) of central employees and Dearness Relief (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 DA arrears of 18 months 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 (Staff Side) has urged the government to release the DA arrears of 18 months that were withheld earlier. Earlier, Mukesh Singh, General Secretary, Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh had also demanded the Central Government to release the payment.
DA stopped during Covid has not been 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 slowly recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the financial situation is improving and it is a matter of happiness.
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Proposal for 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.
It can be announced 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.
