An installment of DA payable at 10% had become due with effect from the 1st July 2010. The government has decided to release this installment retrospectively with effect from its due date. The employees shall draw the amount of enhanced DA along with their pay for the month of April 2011. The arrears from 1st July 2010 up to 31st March 2011 shall be credited into their GPF Accounts.
Increase of 10% in DA shall also be sanctioned in favour of the pensioners who would get their arrears in cash during the next financial year. The total financial implication on account of this installment of DA for employees and pensioners shall be ` 700 crore annually. Besides, additional Rs 500 crore shall be involved in payment of arrears.
Finance Minister, Abdur Rahim Rather while presenting the state budget in the state Legislative Assembly said the employees shall draw the amount of enhanced DA along with their pay for the month of April 2011.
Rather said everybody is aware of the all out efforts made by the Government in the last two years to accommodate the demands of the employees relating to the Sixth Central Pay Commission Report.
Apart from fully implementing the new pay scales and Grade Pay, the Government has also been sanctioning DA installments at the rates applicable to the Central government employees. Additionally, in a very special gesture, the rates of HRA are being brought at par with the Central government from July 2011 even though the State needed a reverse policy to encourage postings in the rural areas.
The minimum length of service required to enable the employees to qualify for full pension has been reduced to 28 years even though the age of entry into Government service in our State remains very high. These measures have resulted into spiraling of the revenue expenditure on account of salaries and pensions, as briefly mentioned by me while giving the figures of expenditure on salaries and pensions.
He said at the time of arriving at a settlement with the representatives of the government employees, it was agreed that the payment of arrears of pay revision would be considered by the Government after the requisite additional resources become available for the same. The total amount of arrears amounts to approximately Rs 4,300 crore. Payment of such a huge amount was well beyond the State’s financial capacity. In fact, many of the other States who have adopted the Central scales of pay, have not, as yet paid such arrears to their employees and have indeed not given many of the Central allowances.
Rather emphasized Despite the aforementioned agreement and continuing financial difficulties, the Government once again displayed an employee friendly approach and approved a road map for payment of 50% of the arrears of pay revision to its employees and pensioners. A Government Order stands issued accordingly. This amount shall be paid in varying number of installments by credit to their GPF Accounts. The estimated expenditure on the first installment payable during the year 2011-12 is Rs 525 crore.
He hoped that the employees will appreciate the position and respond by rendering sincere, honest and dedicated services to the public for which the Government exists, adding despite our financial difficulties, the government has announced a small improvement in the agreed road map in respect of our senior citizens. As per the road map, the pensioners are to receive 50% of their arrears in three or more annual installments.
He also proposed to pay off these arrears in just one installment to such of the pensioners who shall attain the age of 90 years or above on 1st April 2011. Similarly, the pensioners in the age group of 80 to 90 years on 1st April 2011 shall be paid these arrears in two annual installments.
Source : Kashmir Dispatch.
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