Himachal Pradesh govt employees get DA hike: Check latest dearness allowance rate

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced a 31 per cent dearness allowance hike.

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, on Tuesday (January 25), announced a 31 per cent dearness allowance (DA) hike for the state government employees. The decision was taken by the government ahead of the state assembly elections that are due in 2022. The Chief Minister made the announcement at the Himachal Pradesh Statehood Day function in Solan town.

While making the announcement, Chief Minister said, "My government had recently announced a new pay scale, which will benefit 2,25,000 employees while putting a monetary burden of Rs 6,000 crore to the state exchequer."

"It has been brought to my notice that some anomalies existed in the new scale, which will deny some employees gain the optimum benefits. So apart from the two options (provided under the new scale), I announce another one so that no employee is bereft of the gains of the new pay scale."

"Also, if any section of employees is unable to reap the benefits of the new pay scale, we can make a decision to re-think on it."

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Thakur has also announced that the government will grant 1,75,000 pensioners a pension on the Punjab pattern that will put a monetary burden of Rs 2,000 crore on the state exchequer.

"My government had recently announced 28 per cent DA on the new pay scale and today I announce 31 per cent DA for the state government employees, which will put a monetary burden of Rs 500 crore on the state exchequer annually."

The minister also said that the financial eligibility of several social welfare schemes has been increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000. The move will benefit socially and economically weaker sections. Also Read: Budget 2022: Need to support incomes for consumption push, says Crisil Research

He also said about a lakh additional beneficiaries from the poorer section will receive Rs 125 crore through the announcement. Also Read: Got special Rs 2 coin? Sell it online to earn lakhs of rupees, check how