7th Pay Commission: Central employees can once again get good news. The 18-month DA arrears can be discussed with the cabinet secretary in December.
7th Pay Commission: The year 2021 has been tremendous for central employees. After the first 28% DA, 31% dearness allowance has also been approved. But still the employees have got disappointment on one front. The expectations regarding the 18 months arrears of the employees have not been fulfilled so far. When the government had announced about the dearness allowance, it was said that they would only get the increased dearness allowance, but the government had refused for the time being on the arrears.
Good news for central employees
It is worth noting that under the 7th Pay Commission, the central government has given many big benefits to the central employees in addition to 31 percent DA. But the case of DA arrears is pending for 18 months. According to Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary (Staff Side) of the National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM), the council has put forth a demand in front of the government that while restoring the DA, one time settlement of DA arrears pending for 18 months should also be done. However, it is expected that this can be discussed with the Cabinet Secretary in December.
PM Modi will decide the arrears
Significantly, the matter of 18 months arrears has reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now PM Modi will decide on the arrears. With this, the hopes of the central employees regarding arrears have been awakened once again. If PM Modi gives green signal to 18 months arrears, then let us tell you that a huge amount will come in the account of about 1 crore central employees and pensioners.
At present, the dearness allowance of central employees has increased to 31 percent. 48 lakh central government employees and more than 65 lakh pensioners are getting the benefit of this.
Pensioners wrote a letter to PM Modi
The Indian Pensioners’ Forum (BMS) has written a letter to PM Modi regarding the payment of arrears of DA, DR. BMS has appealed to PM Modi to intervene in this matter. BMS has appealed that you instruct the Finance Ministry to release the arrears of DA / DR withheld between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 at the earliest. We will be extremely grateful for immediate action in this regard. Pensioners argue that during the period during which DA/DR was stopped, retail inflation has increased and prices of petrol-diesel, edible oil and pulses have reached record highs.
Decision not right for pensioners
DA/DR is paid to the employees and pensioners to compensate for the increase in the cost of living. The cost has increased very rapidly during the 18 months. In such a situation, withholding money for this period is not in the interest of the employees and pensioners. It has been mentioned in the letter that most of the pensioners are of old age. Medicines require money. Also, due to the Kovid-19 crisis, the income of most pensioners is so much that they can only fill their stomach.
BMS said that there is no doubt that the country is going through a financial crisis. Most of the pensioners have contributed one day pension to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Emergency Relief Fund (PM CARES). Now if they need it, then the government should pay ‘DA/DR’.
