Dearness Allowance Raised By 4%? Know Centre's Response To Viral WhatsApp Message

The fact-checking team of PIB clarified that the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance has not issued any such order.

Indian Currency

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New Delhi: If you have received any WhatsApp message claiming the Dearness Allowance (DA) has increased by 4 percent, then it is 'fake'. The Press Information Bureau (PIB), through its fact-checking arm has refuted the claims that the additional installment of DA will be effective from July 1 this year. 

Terming the order as “fake”, the PIB shared a picture of it and tweeted, “An order circulating on WhatsApp claims that the additional installment of Dearness Allowance will be effective from 01.07.2022”.

An order circulating on #WhatsApp claims that the additional installment of Dearness Allowance will be effective from 01.07.2022#PIBFactCheck

▶️This order is #Fake

▶️Department of Expenditure, @FinMinIndia has not issued any such order pic.twitter.com/VQ07ZvpMXE

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) September 22, 2022

The fact-checking team further clarified that the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance has not issued any such order. “This order is fake,” the bureau wrote.

The subject line of the order reads, “Grant of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees – Revised Rules effective from 1.7.2022.”

The circular also mentions a note saying “the President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 34% to 38% of the basic pay with effect from 1st July, 2022.”

The fake order goes to the extent of mentioning a memorandum number along with the signature of Nirmala Dev, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India. It has been addressed to “All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India (as per standard distribution list).”

It is to be noted that a similar fake order carrying false claims related to Dearness Allowance was circulated earlier on WhatsApp in August. Even then PIB's fact-checking wing refuted the false claims. The order stated that the DA for central government employees was enhanced from 34 per cent to 38 per cent.

The central government revises the DA twice a year in the month of January and July. The last revision took place in January this year when the DA was increased by 3 per cent, from 31 per cent to the current 34 per cent.