Himachal DA Hike: 5% Instalment, Rs 10,000 for Class IV Staff

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a 5 per cent instalment of dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees on Friday, 23 October, ahead of Diwali. He also announced an extra Rs 10,000 for Class IV employees. “Today, I have released a 5 per cent instalment of the DA for government employees,” Sukhu said, according to ANI.

Revised DA Comes With October Pay

Sanjeev Sharma, a former president of the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Services Employees Association, said the 5 per cent is made up of a 4 per cent instalment due from 1 January 2024 and 1 per cent that was pending from an earlier period. He said the new DA will show up in the October salary, which is paid in November.

The reports do not say what the DA rate was before the hike or what it becomes now. They also do not say whether pensioners are covered or how much the move will cost the state.

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Rs 10,000 More for Class IV Staff

Class IV employees, the lowest grade in the state services, will get an additional Rs 10,000 before Diwali. The reports do not say whether this is a one-time payment or how it will be paid.

Revenue Deficit Grant Back in the Argument

Sukhu told the gathering the state would have become self-reliant sooner if Rs 10,000 crore in Revenue Deficit Grant had not been withheld, ANI reported. The Revenue Deficit Grant is the Centre’s support to states whose own revenue falls short of their spending. Himachal has leaned on it heavily, and its stoppage has been a running point of dispute between the state and the Centre.

Finance Department Order Is the Next Step

India.com reported that the Chief Minister said a notification has been issued. The text of the order, which would give the effective dates, the covered employees and the arrears, was not available at the time of writing. Employees will see the actual change when the salary slip for October arrives.

For more state-level news, see the Daily Updates section.

Source: Based on reporting by ANI and India.com.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.