More DA for Chhattisgrah staff

The Chhattisgarh government has announced six per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) of its employees--putting an additional burden of Rs 120 crore per year to the state exchequer.

The revised dearness allowance will come into effect from October 1, according to senior officials with the department of finance. The increased allowance will be enhanced to 35 per cent from the existing 29 per cent.

The decision of Chhattisgarh government came in the backdrop of constant pressure mounted by the state government employees union to revise the DA after the union government last month increased it by six per cent.

This increased the difference of DA of state and union government employees by 12 per cent.

Sources said that delegation of employees union recently had a number of meetings with the Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh in support of their demand for revising the DA.

"After considering the demands, the state government decided to revise the DA by six per cent," officials said.

The office memorandum of the department of finance was issued last evening. The state government has already merged 50 per cent of the DA with basic pay.

Sources said that the state government was also working on a proposal to announce revised DA for the Shikshakarmis""the contractual teachers working in the state.

The senior officials of finance department informed that the state exchequer had to bear an additional burden of Rs 120 crore every year from next fiscal following revised DA announced for the state government employees.