Dearness Allowance Hike 2022 (DA January 2022 Hike News): Central Government Employees are expecting a Dearness Allowance (DA) hike in January. However, amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, a fake order on the DA hike circulated on social media surprised many.
The fake order claimed that Dearness Allowance and Dearness relief payable to Central Government Employees and pensioners will be kept in abeyance in view of rising cases of OMICRON.
However, the Finance Ministry has denied issuing any such order.
“A #Fake order issued in the name of the Ministry of Finance claiming that the ‘Dearness Allowance & Dearness Relief payable to Central Govt employees and pensioners will be kept in abeyance’ is in circulation,” PIB FactCheck tweeted.
“No such order has been issued by the @FinMinIndia,” it added.
In 2020, during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the Central Government had frozen DA and DR hikes of Central Government Employees and Pensioners.
Previous DA, DR Hike
In October 2021, the Union Cabinet had hiked DA and DR for central government employees and pensioners by 3 percentage points to 31% of basic pay/pension. The move cost the exchequer an additional about Rs 7,100 crore for the July-March period of FY22.
Earlier on 14th July 2021, the Centre had hiked DA and DR for government employees and pensioners by 11 percentage points to 28% of basic pay/pension. This cost the exchequer an additional about Rs 25,800 crore for the July-March period of FY22. The increase in DA and DR reflected the three additional instalments that were frozen.
The three additional instalments of DA and DR due from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021, were frozen by the Central Government due to the unprecedented situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
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