Finance Ministry freezes increment on DA, DR for central govt employees, pensioners
New Delhi: The finance ministry on Thursday decided to put on hold increment in dearness allowance (DA) for 50 lakh central government employees and 61 lakh pensioners till July 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
"In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, it has been decided that additional instalment of dearness allowance payable to central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to central government pensioners due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid.
"The additional instalment of DA and DR due from July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021, shall also not be paid," the Department of Expenditure said in an office memorandum. However, DA and DR at current rates will continue to be paid.
According to sources, the combined savings on account of freezing of these instalments of DA and DR to central government employees and pensioners would be Rs 37,530 crore in the current financial year and 2021-22.
Generally, the states follow the Centre order on DA and DR.
It is estimated that the savings on suspension of these instalments of DA and DR of state government employees and pensioners will be Rs 82,566 crore, the sources said.
Thus, the combined savings of the Centre and states will be Rs 1.20 lakh crore, which will help in fighting the battle against COVID-19 and its fallout.
The last DA hike for central government employees was effected last month effective January 1. 2020. The Union Cabinet had approved a 4 per cent increase in DA for government employees and pensioners to 21 per cent.
With Thursday's decision, this 4 per cent hike has been put on hold.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mumbai nurse loses Rs 1 lakh trying to buy Rs 299 dress online
Mumbai (PTI): A nurse working at a private hospital in Mumbai was allegedly cheated of Rs 1 lakh after she tried to purchase a dress online for Rs 299, police said.
As per preliminary investigation, the fraud was orchestrated using a Facebook advertisement, a WhatsApp number and a fake delivery agent, an official from Deonar police station said on Saturday.
The nurse, who lives in a hostel here, in her complaint said she came across an advertisement on Facebook offering dresses at just Rs 299. She then tried to buy one piece.
The person at the other end initially sought payment for the dress, but later “continued to extract money under various pretexts such as shipping charges, GPS charges, tracking fees, verification codes and address confirmation,” the official said.
The nurse told the police that she paid Rs 1 lakh over five days between April 16 and 20, and was repeatedly assured that most of the money would be refunded and the order would be delivered.
When nothing happened, she realised that she had been scammed. She then contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint. The Deonar police have registered a case and launched a probe into it, the official said.
