Dearness allowance order issued; silence on arrears; DA for 39 months due

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government issued an order yesterday allowing three per cent DA to government employees and teachers and dearness relief to pensioners. Employees will get DA along with their salaries next month. However, the order does not say that the dues will be settled.

DA for 39 months from July 2021 is due. This amount is equivalent to 35 days' salary. The order is in such a way that it appears that the DA benefit announced in July this year is being paid immediately. In April this year too, an instalment of DA and DR was sanctioned. However, it was not specified which DA, then also. No retrospective effect was given. As a result, the employees lost 5 per cent of their total salary for 78 months.

The dearness allowance, which is based on the Consumer Price Index and as an inflationary equation, is the employee's right. However, the orders are now being issued without mentioning the due date in such a way that the dearness allowance is the generosity of the government. The second Pinarayi government has sanctioned only two instalments of DA in the last three years.