The State Government today ordered payment of 3% Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees and pensioners with effect from July 2017.According to an order issued by the Principal Secretary Finance, Mr Navin Kumar Choudhary with the release of 3% Dearness Allowance the revised rate of DA applicable with effect from July 2017 would be 139%.In a significant decision, the Finance Department has announced that the arrears on account of additional installment of 3% DA from July 2017 to December 2017 shall be paid in cash to the employees and shall form part of the salary from January 2018 onwards.According to the order, the enhancement in DA will also apply to the work charge/whole time contingent paid employees working in the regular timescale.Pertinently, the Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu had, in his budget speech in the State Assembly on 11 January this year, announced release of pending DA and implementation of 7th Pay Commission Recommendations in favor of the state government employees. He had also announced increase in the refreshment charges of the employees for working overtime during the legislature session from the existing Rs 7500 to Rs 10000.
“This is for the first time in decades that due to the fiscal stabilization the arrears on account of DA are being paid in cash,” said Dr Drabu adding that the far-reaching fiscal management measures initiated by the present Government during the past three years have resulted in discernable stabilization of the resource position enabling the Finance Department to extend several monetary benefits to its employees and put in place various welfare initiatives for other sections of the society including industry, trade, agriculturists, horticulturists, women, girls, students, youth and destitute.I am immensely thankful to the Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti and my cabinet colleagues for guiding me and providing me the support to initiate the welfare measures on such a large scale which have started bearing the fruit,” he said.
He said the present Government has during the past 3 years announced a hike of around 35% DA for the employees and pensioners besides increasing the Durbar Move TA from Rs 10000 to Rs 15000 and Temporary Move Allowance from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 per month. “We are also implementing the 7thPay Commission Recommendations from April 2018, ahead of almost all the states in the country,” he said and added that the best part is the Government ensured that the employees don’t come out on roads even for a singl day during the past three years to get these due monetary benefits.Dr Drabu said in a latest decision, the Government has also hiked the remuneration of the daily rated workers from the existing Rs 150 to Rs 225. “As already announced we are also in the process of regularizing the daily rated, casual, seasonal and other workers and the process has already been set into motion,” he said.