Will Central Government Employees And Pensioners Ever Get COVID 19 DA Arrears? What’s Next After Frozen Dearness Allowance Fallout?

Will Central Government Employees and Pensioners Ever Get Their DA Arrears?

If you’re a central government employee or pensioner, you’ve probably been wondering the same thing for years, will we ever get those frozen dearness allowance (DA) arrears from the COVID-19 period? Well, you’re not alone! Over 1 crore staff across the country have been waiting (im)patiently for nearly five years. But here’s the twist, it looks like even the most hopeful among us have quietly accepted that those arrears might never see the light of day.

This has to be just like the example of waiting for a bus. It’s like waiting for a bus that never comes. You check the schedule, you wait at the stop, but the bus just, doesn’t show up. 
We know this is very sad, but it is true!

So, if you were holding out for a surprise payment to brighten your day, it might be time to let go.

Why Was DA Withheld During COVID-19?

• In March 2020, the central government froze DA/DR payments for central employees and pensioners for 18 months.
• This was due to the severe economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The government needed to save money to spend on urgent health services and fight the pandemic.
• Officials said the country was under huge financial pressure during this time.
• The Finance Ministry made it clear in Parliament that the frozen arrears would not be paid later.

Employees And Unions Didn’t Give Up On DA!

Even though the DA was frozen, central government employees and their unions kept pushing hard to get their dues.

They didn’t just sit back, they sent multiple letters and made several appeals to the Finance Ministry, hoping the payments would be released once things got better.

Their message was clear: “This money is rightfully ours!” Despite all their efforts, the fight to get the arrears continued for years.

Other Key Issues Discussed In The Meeting Regarding DA

• Restoration of commuted pension after 12 years (instead of 15 years)
• Increasing the quota for compassionate appointments by 5%
• Abolition of the National Pension System (NPS) and reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
• Constitution of the 8th Pay Commission (CPC)
• Reducing the residency period required for promotion

Recent Updates Make Things Clear

Here’s The Latest: A top delegation from the Government Employees National Confederation (GENC), linked with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), recently met with Union Minister Jitendra Singh to discuss their demands. But here’s the twist, the group voluntarily dropped the issue of DA arrears before the meeting even started!

This basically signals that employee organisations have accepted it’s a lost cause to chase the arrears any further. 

What Is The Meaning Of Dropping The DA Arrears?

Well, here is the bad news in a bottle: now that the DA arrears issue is no longer on the table, it is nearly guaranteed that the central employees and pensioners will not see such frozen payments between January 2020 and June 2021. It would be a bummer, but there are times when you must take a chance and move on when a chapter is closed.

What’s Next on the To-Do List?

But don’t lose hope just yet! With the DA arrears drama safely under the belt, workers and trade unions are already looking at other greater and hotter issues such as the reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), the demand to push the 8th Pay Commission, and overcoming promotion barriers. Therefore, strap up, the battle of improve-benefits is not over. 

(With Inputs)

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