Low DA: CM advises employees to ‘wait’

Cabinet approves DA, DR with effect from January 01

Times News

Agartala, January 25: Expressing regret for the meager allowance of 3 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) against 28 percent pending DA and DR to employees and pensioners of the state against central DA, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today advised the employees to ‘wait’.

Speaking to reporters at the Civil Secretariat here this evening, Chief Minister Sarkar said, “The state government has decided to allow 3 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) to employees from a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday. The decision has made DA allowed to state government employees rise to 30 percent. The central government pays DA at 58 percent at the moment. It makes the difference 28 percent despite the hike in DA”. Claiming that allowing DA according to expectation of employees is becoming harder by the day due to alleged deprivation meted out by the 13^th Finance Commission, the CM said, “We have to wait some more, it seems”.

With the Union Budget in the offing, difference between DA allowed for state government and Union Government employees is likely to rise above 30 percent once again. It is mentionable here that the state government yesterday decided to allow 3 percent additional Dearness Allowance (DA) for all state government employees in the face of growing discontent among the latter. The decision is likely to incur an additional burden of over Rs. 88.5 crores on the state government, said the Chief Minister detailing about the resolution. The new order will be applicable from January 01, 2012, added the Chief Minister.

The applicable rates of DA and DR will be applicable for Tripura Board of Secondary Education, Grant-in-Aid Schools and 7 non-commercial autonomous organizations, stated the Chief Minister in a communiqué adding that the state’s contribution for Anganwadi workers and helpers would be increased from Rs. 1681 to Rs. 1794 for workers while the helpers would get a hike raising the existing honourarium of Rs. 1193 to Rs. 1262 with effect from January 01, 2012. The additional financial implication would be for three months during year 2011-2012 which amounts to Rs. 22 crores. However, the additional implication for 2012-2013 would be Rs. 88.13 crores.