34,000 Crore Rupees Da/Dr Arrears: 18 months on, No Clarity from Government – Amar Ujala Hindi News Live

The Minister of State for Finance had said that the ‘arrear’ of these allowances cannot be released at present. During the coronal period, the central government had saved Rs 34,402 crore by stopping DA/DR of 18 months. MP Anand Bhadoria asked questions about the release of the outstanding amount of DA/DR in the Lok Sabha on February 3. He asked in his question, whether dearness allowance and dearness relief for central government employees and pensioners was stopped for 18 months during Kovid-19. It was not released. If yes, then what is the details of the corresponding thing. What are the reasons for the government not releasing it. Will the government release it to ensure the spending being spent by its employees. Will this step be helpful in promoting the country’s staggering economy. If yes, then what is the details of the corresponding thing. If not, what are the reasons for this.

While answering this question, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, “The decision to freeze the three installments payable from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 and 01.01.2021, the dearness allowance (DA)/dearness relief (DR) of the Central Government employees/pensioners was taken during Kovid-19.” The reason for this was economic disruption. This decision was taken keeping him in mind. Then its purpose was to reduce the pressure on government finance. The next question was answered by the Minister of State for Finance in ‘No’. Will the government release the outstanding amount of DA/DR, in response, the minister said, the question does not arise. The Minister of State for Finance said, “Financial impact of global epidemic in the year 2020 and finance of welfare measures taken by the government had a fiscal effect after FY 2020-21, it is not possible to give dA/DR outstanding.

Let us know that JCM has urged to return Rs 34,402 crore from ‘Staff Side’ to various employees’ organizations, federations and associations, DA/DR. Many such organizations have given their report in the Finance Ministry. The question has been asked in the Parliament session, but so far the government has not given any such assurance that there is a sign of getting the said amount to the employees and pensioners. Even in the Union Budget, the government did not make any announcement in this regard. The Central Government has admitted in Parliament that applications have been received from several employee organizations to release the outstanding amount of DA. However, instead of giving any concrete confidence in this regard, the government clearly stated that it is not practical to release DA arrears in current circumstances.

Earlier, questions have been asked about this subject in Parliament. Even then, the government’s answer has been that the DA/DR amount of more than Rs 34 thousand crore will not be paid to the employees. The Minister of State for Finance had said in the House last year, the central government’s fiscal deficit is still running more than doubled from the level shown in the FRBM Act. In such a situation, it is not possible to give the arrear of DA/DR. According to C. Srikumar, Senior Member of ‘National Joint Council of Excons’ (NJCA) and General Secretary of All India Defense Employees Federation (AIDEF), Cabinet Secretary has been written several times by the National Council (JCM) of ‘Staff Side’ to pay an arrear of 18 -month DA/DR. In this regard, the Finance Ministry has also been reported. The Central Government has also been cited the Supreme Court’s decision. Despite this, the government is not ready to give an arrears of 18 months DA/DR.

The Supreme Court decides that in such cases the employee has to pay it with six percent interest. The central government had stopped 3 installments of dearness allowance and inflation relief of 18 months from January 2020 to June 2021 during the coronal period. At that time, the government had said that the economic situation was not good. C. Srikumar says, the government has come to mind. In early 2020, the Center had banned DA/DR of government personnel and pensioners by taking the cover of Kovid-19.

At that time, the central government had saved crores of rupees by stopping the payment of 11 percent DA of the personnel. After that, representatives of employee organizations suggested many options to the government regarding the payment of arrears of 18 months. These also included lump sum payment of arrears. An email was sent to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard by the Allies of All X Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association. It was requested to restore old pension in paramilitary forces in the budget. DA/DR outstanding, Rs 34,402.32 crore should be returned.

Association General Secretary Ranbir Singh wrote in his email, the outstanding DA/DR payment of central employees and border soldiers should be issued. SB Yadav, general secretary of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, says that a letter has been written to the government several times for payment of the outstanding amount of DA/DR. If the economic situation was not good during the coronal period, DA/DR was cut. Now if the economy is on track, the government should give an arrear of 18 months DA/DR. Government service is not a contract, this is a situation.

The National Mission for Old Pension Scheme has also said Manjit Singh Patel, President of India, the arrears of 18 -month DA/DR are the right of the employees. The central government should release this amount without delay. However, the government has clearly refused in this regard. Last year, the government also refused to release arrears in the Rajya Sabha. Now it has been refused once.

SC Maheshwari, general secretary of ‘Bharat Pensioner Samaj’, had also urged the government to issue an 18 -month -old DA arrear during the Coronal period. After the Coronal period, Union Minister Anurag Thakur had announced that employees will get dearness allowance at 28 per cent. At that time, he did not say anything about arrears. The announcement of the Union Minister meant that the increased DA rate should be considered from July 1, 2021 to 28 percent.

According to this, between June 2021 and July 2021, DA suddenly increased by 11 per cent, while there was no increase in DA rates in a period of one and a half years. DA/DR was freeze from 1 January 2020 to July 1, 2021. Three installments of DA (1 January 2020, 1 July 2020, 1 January 2021) were stopped in the Corona Transition period. After this, the government restored dearness allowance in July 2021. Then the government became silent after paying the money of three installments of 18 months.