Dress Allowance Hike 2024: In July 2024, the Center had increased the dearness allowance (DA) of government employees by 3 percent. After this, the dearness allowance given to the central employees increased to 53 percent of the basic pay. This increase in DA came into effect from July 1, 2024. The salary (in-hand) received by the central government employees increased after the government gave other additional benefits when the dearness allowance reached 50 percent.
Let us tell you that the Seventh Pay Commission had suggested increasing many other allowances when the dearness allowance reached 50 percent. After the increase in DA, 13 other essential allowances were increased by 25 percent from January 1, 2024. In September, two additional allowances – nursing allowance and clothing allowance – were also increased for eligible employees.
According to a circular issued by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) on July 4, 2024, ‘Attention is invited to the following orders issued by the Department of Expenditure/DoPT in the past and it is requested that dearness allowance be increased from 4% to 50% with effect from 01.10.2017. 01.01.2024, the following allowances, wherever applicable, may be paid at the increased rates of 25% from the existing rates.
Increase in dress allowance
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Office Memorandum issued on September 17, 2024 stated, “The contents of the said OM inter alia state that the rate of dress allowance will increase by 25% every time the dearness allowance payable on the revised pay scale increases by 50%.”
Increase in nursing allowance
According to the Office Memorandum of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare dated September 17, 2024, nursing allowance is payable to all nurses, whether they are working in dispensaries or hospitals. According to it, “The contents of the said OM inter alia state that the rate of nursing allowance will increase by 25% every time the dearness allowance payable on the revised pay scale increases by 50%.
8th Pay Commission update: When will the Eighth Pay Commission be implemented
The Central Pay Commission is usually implemented every 10 years. Every 10 years, the government constitutes a pay commission to give benefits to central government employees in terms of salary, allowances and other facilities. The 7th Pay Commission was constituted on 28 February 2014 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission were implemented on 19 November 2015.
Let us tell you that now the 8th Pay Commission is to be constituted. However, recently Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, while answering in the Lok Sabha, said that no proposal of the 8th Pay Commission is being considered at present.
