The Uttarakhand government, following the central government’s decision to increase Dearness Allowance (DA) by 4% for central employees and pensioners, has initiated amendments to the DA rates in various states ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. In line with this, the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government of Uttarakhand has also provided a Holi gift to its employees and pensioners by increasing the Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief by 4%. Secretary of Finance, Dilip Javalakar, has issued orders regarding this matter.
DA Hike for Employees and Pensioners, Arrears Benefit, Salary to Increase from April
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has extended a 4% DA gift to approximately 2.5 lakh employees, pensioners, and family pensioners in the state. Consequently, the DA for employees and pensioners has increased from 46% to 50%. This benefit will be extended not only to state employees but also to regular and full-time employees of aided educational and technical education institutions, urban local bodies, as well as officers under the All India Services and working officers under the UGC pay scales. The new rates will be effective from January 1, 2024, and any arrears remaining from January 1 to February 29 will be disbursed. Dearness Allowance payments will be made regularly along with salaries from March 1, 2024. Pension for employees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) will be credited to their NPS accounts, while the remaining amount will be disbursed in cash.
Additionally, the Dearness Relief for civil and family pensioners has also been increased to 50%. Educational and higher education pensioners receiving pension or family pension from state funds under the Department of School Education and Technical Education will also benefit from the increased Dearness Relief, witnessing a rise in their pension.
DA Hike for Corporation and Municipal Employees
The DA for employees of all corporations and municipalities in Uttarakhand has also been increased by 4%, raising the DA for corporation and municipal employees from 42% to 46%. Secretary of Industrial Development Department, Vinay Shankar Pandey, has issued orders in this regard. This will benefit around 3.5 lakh corporation employees. Corporation employees will receive the increased DA from July 1, 2023, instead of 42%, they will now receive 46% DA.Corporations have been directed to take action on the Dearness Allowance after assessing their financial conditions.
Several states have already increased DA for their employees, including Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. The increased salary and pension will start reflecting in employees’ and pensioners’ accounts from April, along with the benefit of arrears and 2 months’ DA. However, employees in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may have to wait a little longer for the good news.