Why DA Arrears Are Back in Focus
There’s a buzz again among central government employees and pensioners and for a good reason! The long-pending 18 months’ DA arrears issue, which was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, is back in the spotlight. Crores of families can get a lot of financial boost if this demand is ultimately agreed upon.
What Happened in the Delhi Meeting?
A key meeting was recently held at Delhi’s Civil Service Officers Institute (CSOI). In this session, employee unions strongly raised the matter of unpaid DA arrears from July 2020 to January 2021. These arrears were frozen during the pandemic to reduce government spending. But employees now feel it’s time they get what’s rightfully theirs.
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Among the participants were union leaders Shivgopal Mishra and M. Raghavaiya. who pressed the government to release the dues, calling it a “statutory right.” They argued that inflation didn’t stop during the pandemic, so stopping DA wasn’t fair.
What Exactly Are 18-Month DA Arrears?
DA, or Dearness Allowance, refers to a cost-of-living increment payable to government servants and pensioners. During COVID, DA hikes were paused for 18 months. Now, employee unions want that money released.
The government had just increased DA from 53% to 55% effective from January 2025. Another increase will be in July 2025, perhaps on Diwali. But before that, pressure is rising to clear the pending arrears first.
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Who Stands to Benefit and How Much?
If the government agrees, lakhs of employees and pensioners will benefit. The arrears will vary based on your pay level and basic salary.
Level-1 employees could receive between ₹11,880 and ₹37,554.
Higher-level officers (Level-13 and Level-14) may get anywhere between ₹1.44 lakh to ₹2.18 lakh.
Level-Wise DA Arrears Calculation Explained
Let’s break it down:
If your basic salary is ₹18,000, you could get about ₹11,880 for the 3 missed DA hikes.
If your basic is ₹56,000, your arrears could go up to ₹37,554.
For senior officers earning between ₹1.23 lakh to ₹2.15 lakh, the total arrears can reach over ₹2 lakh.
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The ball is now in the government’s court. With rising demand and growing union pressure, employees are hopeful that a long-overdue decision may finally arrive, perhaps just in time for Diwali.