Thousands of central government employees must now have sighed in relief after the Government of India gave its long-awaited approval to those 18-month-long DA arrears. The employees and pensioners had immensely appreciated this decision as it was long overdue in view of the DA hike being put on the shelf since 2020 due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
What Are DA Arrears?
Dearness Allowance is given periodically to compensate for inflation to employees and pensioners of the Government. The Government, by citing economic constraints due to the pandemic, froze the payment of three installments of Dearness Allowance payable to Government employees starting January 2020; a few months later, the January 2020 DA was due, but was allowed to lapse; the July 2020 and January 2021 instalments were also frozen. Soon after ABPMRDA rate got revised, and the picked Schedule of Payment of DA was implemented; but those month-long 18 months of DA arrears were never paid.
Now That Arrears Have Been Approved: The Aftermath
This should bring major relief to an estimated 47 lakh central government employees and upwards of 69 lakh pensioners. The arrears would be settled in a one-time lump sum payment, with the rates varying from one individual employee to another as per his scale of pay and grade.
According to the estimates, Group A officers, who are the highest in the hierarchy, would be getting arrears of up to Rs 2 lakh, while Groups B and C would have to manage with anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 80,000, subject to their basic pay and DA rates during the freeze period.
When Is The Payment To Be Made?
Government approval for the payments has, of course, come by; however, there has never been the announcement of a payment date for arrears. Sources state that there is a possibility that the arrears be paid within two to three months, maybe even before the realization of the 8th Pay Commission, which too is an ongoing consideration.
Employees Reactions
Unions and worker bodies greeted the announcement as a long overdue recognition of the sacrifices government workers had made during the pandemic. The National Council (Staff Side), which had made endless calls for the release of the arrears, is satisfied with the government’s decision.
Also Read:8th Pay Commission Timeline Announced: See Revised Pay Matrix Details