DA hike suspension order not withdrawn, Centre debunks fake news

The government on September 30 clarified that no new order was passed with regards to the suspension of dearness allowance hike in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.

The clarification came after a message on social media that the Union government has withdrawn its earlier order to suspend DA hike.

The Centre took to Twitter to clarify its stance, and called the message 'fake'.

दावा: @FinMinIndia को लिखे गए एक अनुरोध पत्र पर अलग से हेडलाइन जोड़कर यह दावा किया जा रहा है कि केंद्र सरकार ने DA कटौती की घोषणा वापस ले ली है। #PIBFactCheck: यह हेडलाइन फर्जी है। यह अनुरोध पत्र मई 2020 में लिखा गया था। केंद्र सरकार द्वारा ऐसा कोई निर्णय नहीं लिया गया है। pic.twitter.com/W6vOvGB1E2

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) September 30, 2020

Stating that the April order has not been withdrawn, the Centre wrote on Twitter, "A headline has been morphed on a request letter written to the finance minister claiming that the Centre has taken back its order in DA cut. The letter was written in May 2020. Centre has not taken any such decision."

Earlier on April 23, the government had said the central government employees and pensioners will not get the new rates of 21 per cent of DA, which were supposed to be given from January 1, 2020.

The Centre had raised the rate of DA in March from present 17 per cent to 21.

Apart from this, the government had announced that though no arrears will be paid from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, the rate of DA will be revised on July 1 after taking into account of the previous hikes.