Notification out on 25% DA hike

Kolkata: The notification declaring a total additional dearness allowance (DA) of 25 percent has been issued on Thursday. There will also be an ad-hoc increase in the existing daily rate of wages by Rs 53 from January 1 in 2019.

The memorandum stated that "state government employees drawing basic pay up to Rs 80,000 per month, shall draw with effect from January 1, 2019 DA at 125 percent by taking into account the existing DA at 100 percent…"

It has also been stated that "there will be a further ad-hoc increase in the existing daily rate of wages by Rs 53, with effect from January 1, 2019, for the daily wage workers under the government, whose wages are not regulated by any statutory provision like the Minimum wages Act."

In connection with the DA, it has been stated that it will be applicable for teachers and non-teaching employees of government-aided educational institutions, employees of statutory bodies, government undertakings, Panchayats including Panchayat

Karmee and Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and

local bodies.

It may be recalled that on June 19, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the release of additional DA for the state government employees, with the merger of 10 percent interim relief and it was 90 percent more than that of the Left Front government.

She had said: "We are now announcing additional DA, despite there being financial constraints. But the decision to release the DA has been taken as I had given my word to the employees."