Nagaland government decided not to clear the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) to state government employees and pensioners up to January 2021 due to the crisis arising out of COVID19.
The state government decided that the dearness allowance and dearness relief payable to the state government employees and pensioners from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 will not be cleared owing to the crisis arising out of the COVID19 pandemic.
It was decided in line with the Centre’s decision on the same on April 23, additional chief secretary and finance commissioner Sentiyanger Imchen said in an office memorandum on Tuesday.
However, the dearness allowance and dearness relief will be continued to be paid at the current rates till further order.
The office memorandum said the deferred enhancements of dearness allowances will be prospectively restored and incorporated into the rate of July 2021 without arrears as and when a decision is taken by the Centre to release the future instalment of dearness allowances due from July 1, 2021.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently opposed the Central government’s decision to cut back hike in dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners.
“We should be on the side of people whose DA is being cut. I believe it is not necessary at this stage to enforce hardship on government servants and armed forces personnel,” Singh said in a video message released by the Congress.