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7th Pay Commission DA Hike Update: After the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), central government employees may get another good news this month. According to media reports, the central government may soon announce an increase in DA to the employees this month. Earlier reports were saying that the government would announce an increase in DA in the first week of September, but now the first week is almost over and it seems that this is not possible. But now the news is that the decision regarding the increase in DA may come in the last week of September.
Central employees waiting for the announcement of DA hike are excited about it and they are hopeful that they can get a big gift from the government.
Know when the announcement of DA hike is possible
However, media reports have quoted sources as saying that the government may announce the DA hike near the date of Haryana Assembly elections. Elections are to be held in Haryana on October 5. If we look at the trend of the last few years, every year the DA hike was announced a week or fortnight before Diwali, but this time it may be announced a little earlier.
By how much percent will DA increase this time?
The central government may announce an increase in DA for central employees and pensioners in the last week of September. This may increase the DA of more than crores of employees and pensioners by up to 4%. According to sources, the central government is going to announce a 3-4% increase in DA in September. A source said that the government may increase DA by 3%, but it can also be 4%. This will be a big relief for central government employees and pensioners.
Thus, central government employees and pensioners will have to wait a little longer. If there were no state assembly elections in early October, the DA hike could have been announced in October itself, possibly in the second week.
DA and DR increased by 4% in March 2024
The central government last increased dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) in March 2024. DA was increased by 4%, making it 50% of the basic pay. Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners was also increased by 4%.
Usually the central government announces DA hike around Diwali. If we talk about the January cycle, the DA hike is often announced around Holi in March.
When will I get my dearness allowance arrears?
If the DA hike is announced by the end of September, then employees and pensioners may see an increase in their salary/pension for the month of October. That is, employees may get arrears of 3 months from July to September.
Dearness allowance expected to increase by at least 3%
DA for central employees is expected to increase by at least 3% for the period July-December 2024. The DA hike is decided on the basis of the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI), the increase in DA will increase the salary of central government employees and pensioners. There has been no official announcement in this regard yet, but it is expected that the government will announce a hike in DA soon.
This is the difference between DA and DR
What is the difference between DA (Dearness Allowance) and DR (Dearness Relief)? It is very important to understand this. Dearness Allowance (DA) is given to central government employees while Dearness Relief (DR) is given to pensioners. Its purpose is to reduce the rising impact of inflation. The central government usually increases DA and DR twice a year – in January and July. The increase in DA and DR is usually announced in March and early October.
Will I receive the DA arrears that were withheld during COVID-19?
According to a statement by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the recent Monsoon Session of Parliament, the government is unlikely to release 18 months of DA and Dearness Relief (DR) arrears withheld during the Covid-19 pandemic. The government had decided to freeze three instalments of DA/DR to central government employees and pensioners from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021. The decision was taken to ease the pressure on the economic system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this response from the government, the possibility of central employees getting the DA arrears (COVID-19 DA Arrears) withheld during COVID-19 has reduced.