Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has given the green light to a 4 percent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state employees and pensioners, according to ANI reports. This decision, announced by the State Finance Department, brings the DA for employees in the state from 42 to 46 percent.
Previous Announcement for Specific Departments
The Uttarakhand government had previously declared a DA hike for employees working in administrative departments of public undertakings and corporations, as mentioned in an official release on December 31, 2023.
Beneficiaries and Scale-wise Breakdown
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) release states that Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey’s orders will benefit employees in the fifth and sixth pay scales, along with those in the seventh revised pay scale. Here’s the breakdown:
- Seventh revised pay scale: DA increased from 38% to 42%.
- Fifth pay scale: DA increased from 212% to 221%.
- Sixth pay scale: DA increased from 396% to 412%.
For employees on the sixth pay scale as of July 1, 2022, their allowance has been raised from 203% to 212%.
Future Implementation: Uniform Civil Code
Chief Minister Dhami has also announced the forthcoming implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. The presentation of the UCC in the Assembly is expected shortly.
Understanding the Uniform Civil Code
The UCC proposes the creation and enforcement of personal laws applicable uniformly to all citizens, irrespective of their religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This aims to provide a standardized legal framework for personal matters across the population.
