DA Arrears: All central government employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission. A major question on everyone’s mind is when this will be implemented. Meanwhile, uncertainty persists regarding whether central employees will receive the 18 months’ worth of DA arrears that were withheld during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee appointed for the 8th Pay Commission is visiting various states to hold meetings and consult with employee unions. The extent to which the government considers these employee suggestions will only become clear once the recommendations are implemented. The demand for the 18 months’ DA arrears has also been placed before the commission. As of now, there has been no official statement regarding the pending DA arrears.
Find out the status of the pending DA areas
Central Government have even stated in Parliament that these arrears would not be paid; nevertheless, the demand from central employees persists. Now, with the 8th Pay Commission holding meetings across various states, this demand is gaining momentum.
Central government employee unions have been consistently demanding the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears for 18 months. However, the government’s stance on this matter does not appear positive.
The Union Finance Ministry has already clarified that central government employees and pensioners will not receive the DA and Dearness Relief (DR) benefits for those 18 months. According to the government, it was under financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why the DA and DR instalments were withheld. The government had stated that no such proposal was under consideration. indicates that there is no likelihood of the government paying the 18-month arrears in the future.
How much could the DA increase?
Central government employees may receive a DA hike as a gift before the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission. It is anticipated that there could be a 3% increase in DA for this half-year, bringing the total DA to 63%. Currently, central employees receive a DA of 60%. This move will benefit over ten million employees and pensioners.
