Shri Vijay Goel has issued a press statement saying that the Central government seems be waking up from a deep slumber and considering to announce a hike in dearness allowance for the government employees. Reacting to this DA hike proposal, Shri Goel said that in the wake of rising prices of all the essential commodities, inflation has been hurting not only the government employees but also the poor and the middle class. Shri Goel further said that the latest DA hike proposed to be announced by the government is too less and too late.
Shri Goel reminded that fifth pay commission had recommended that if the DA crosses more than 50 per cent then it should be clubbed with the basic pay. This provided some relief to the government employees. But this was discontinued in Sixth Pay Commission. Thus at present DA is more than 80 per cent of the basic pay but it is not made part of basic pay. Now the DA is expected to increase by 10 to 11 per cent but the government is not waking up. Instead of adding the DA to basic pay, the government is planning to set up the Seventh pay Commission.
If the Seventh pay Commission is set up, then it should be implemented from 2014 and not 2016, demanded Shri Goel. If there is any delay in this then interim relief should be provided and the DA should be immediately linked with the basic pay. This would help the government employees to get atleast bare minimum relief from onslaught of inflation.