AP cabinet approves enhancement of DA to govt staff by 2.096%

Andhra Pradesh cabinet today approved the enhancement of dearness allowance to government staff by 2.096 per cent, with effect from January 1, 2017.
The state cabinet met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and approved the DA enhancement in line with the 2015 pay revision commission recommendations, an official release said.
Consequently, the DA would now go up from 22.008 per cent to 24.104 per cent andcost the exchequer an additional Rs 838.87 crore per annum, the release said.
The revised DA arrears for the period January 2017 to March 2018 would be credited to the employees' general provident fund account. It would be paid along with salary from April 2018, it added.

The Cabinet also approved a draft Bill to grant statutory status to the AP Economic Development Board.
The proposed AP EDB Act, 2018, expected to be introduced during the ensuing Budget session of the state Legislature, would also grant statutory status to the State Investment Promotion Board and the State Investment Promotion Committee.

"This move would further propel the Board to work towards accelerated economic development, provide the financers and investors with greater confidence and minimise the chances of any litigation," the official release said.
The Cabinet also gave administrative approval for Rs 1,244 crore to entrust the remaining work of concrete laying and excavation of the Polavaram Irrigation Project to Navayuga Engineering Company, in place of Transstroy India.

Navayuga would also be responsible for operation and maintenance of the project for three years, the release added.