New Delhi: In a latest update the central government servants (CGSs) wait for Dearness Allowance (DA) hike may get longer. The hike due dince 1st January 2021 may get further delayed as per the National Council of JCM — Staff Side and the hike may be announced in June 2021.
As per the report in Mint, the JCM office-bearer mentioned that the DA hike would be effective to the tune of at least 4 per cent of the basic salary of an employee. Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: Govt Extends Deadline To Submit Bills To Claim LTC Voucher Scheme 2020
What is the reason behind delay in DA?
According to the Mint report, the entire plan of the Center has been hampered owing to the second wave of Covid-19 in India, and hence the hike has been shifted by almost a month. Shiva Gopal Mishra, Secretary-Staff Side at the National Council of JCM told the publication that the DA hike announcement which was expected by April end or by May first fortnight may now get shifted to June.
However, Mishra in the report, stated it won’t have much impact on the 7th CPC pay matrix as the Center has already freezed DA and DR benefit of central government servants and pensioners till June 2021.
In March 2021, Minister of State (MoS) at the Ministry of Finance announced in the Upper House of the parliament that DA and DR benefit will be restored from 1st July 2021. So, whenener the due hike in DA since 1st January 2021 is announced, it will be restored from 1st July.
The publication further quoted Mishra saying the hike will be to the tune of at least 4 per cent of the basic salary of a central government employee. “Since the average inflation for July to December 2020 comes around 3.5 per cent, it means the minimum DA hike that a central government will get is 4 per cent of their basic salary," added Mishra.