If you are a government employee, this is very important news for you.  The government has provided significant relief to state government employees and pensioners. The government has decided to increase dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR), and the benefits of these new rates will be effective from January 1. This government decision is expected to benefit 50,000 employees and pensioners in Sikkim.

According to a government circular, the DA and DR rates for those receiving salaries or pensions based on the pre-revised basic pay structure have been increased from 257% to 262%. Meanwhile, for employees and pensioners under the revised basic pay structure, this rate has been increased from 58% to 60%. This means that employees and pensioners in this category will benefit by 2 percentage points.

Who will benefit?

This decision isn't limited to regular government employees. Contract employees working in regular pay scales as per the revised pay structure and employees in work-charged establishments are also eligible for this increase. Furthermore, All India Service (AIS) officers working in Sikkim will benefit from the increased DA.

The DA for AIS officers,
based on the pre-revised pay band and grade pay structure of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, has been increased from 257% to 262%. The DA for officers drawing salaries based on the revised basic pay structure of the Seventh Pay Commission has been increased from 58% to 60%.

Arrears are also likely to be received.
Since the new rate is effective January 1st, the arrears for that period may be received later if the increased amount is received. However, the actual amount of arrears will depend on the employee's basic salary or pension and applicable rules.

The government has also clarified the rules for rounding off amounts. Amounts of 50 paise or more will be rounded up to the next whole rupee, while amounts less than 50 paise will be ignored.

PC: India TV