To woo the employees in wake of SMC poll, Congress Govt issues memo to enhance DA 

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu facing the first litmus test after taking charge of a new government in Himachal Pradesh today issued an office memorandum to enhance the employee’s Dearness allowance by three percent by pegging the existing rate from 31 percent to 34 pc.

A press communication of OM copy of which is with us states that it is a grant of DA to all employees and officers of the State with effect from Jan 1, 2022. The DA would be distributed at the rate of three percent from the existing rate of 31 pc to 34 pc with effect from 01.01.2022 to all employees and officers of the State Government. 

This order would also be applicable to the officers of All India Services, HP Judicial Services officers, and the State Government employees covered by the UGC pay scales.   This additional Dearness Allowance should be paid in cash with the salary of April 2023 payable in May 2023 and the arrears accrued from 01.01.2022 to 31.03.2023  be credited in the GPF Accounts of the employees with the salary of May 2023  payable in June 2023. 

The interest on this account should accrue w.e.f.  1st June 2023. The arrears would be paid in cash in case of the Government employees who have retired in between or who have closed GPF Accounts.  The arrears of  DA to the employees governed under NPS shall be credited to their GPF accounts.  Other terms and conditions as contained in OM of even number dated 3rd January 2022 shall continue to be applicable. 

The payment on account of DA involving a fraction of 50 paise and above may be rounded off to the next higher rupee and the fraction of less than 50 paise may be ignored.   OM could be visited on www.himachal.gov.in/finance/.

It is worthwhile to mention here that Chief Minister made the announcement of releasing DA in the Himachal Day function on April 15, 2023, at Kaza after the issuing of notification for the Shimla MC Poll. There are about two lakh regular government employees and 1.5 lakh outsource and ad-hoc employees. It is worthwhile to mention here that the Congress party steer to power swaying the employee’s votes as it had made a promise to provide an Old Pension system in the Vidhan Sabha election. Employees and pensioners happen to be the maximum numbers of voters therefore this order could be seen as an attempt to woe the voters in wake of the Shimla MC poll which could be termed the first test of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukh Government after assuming power in the state