With Shimla poll in mind, govt releases employees’ pay arrears

Shimla: With an eye on the upcoming Shimla Municipal Corporation elections, the Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday ordered the release of 3 per cent Dearness Allowance for the employees and pensioners.

The announcement to give three per cent DA was made by Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu some days back at Kaza during the Himachal Day function on April 15.

This morning the government issued the orders to release the DA along with arrears of the revised pay and pensions of the employees.

The officials of the state’s finance department said about two lakh employees and one and a half lakh pensioners will be benefited from an increase of the DA from 31 to 34 per cent.

“This dearness allowance will be given from January 1, 2022. This will be payable as per Himachal Pradesh Civil Services Revised Pay Scale Rules-2022,” said orders issued by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena.

This official order will be applicable to All India Services, Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services and State Government employees covered under the UGC pay scales of the State Government. This additional dearness allowance will be given in cash along with the salary to be received in May for April 2023.

The arrears between January 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, will be deposited in the GPF account. It will be credited with the salary for May due in June. Interest will be credited to this account from June 1, 2023. Employees who have retired in the meantime or whose GPF accounts have been closed in the meantime will be given arrear cash.

Additional dearness allowance will also be payable to pensioners from January 1, 2022. This will also be given in the salary of April payable in May. Not only this, pensioners and family pensioners will also be given arrears from January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, in a single installment along with this salary.