G.O.MS.No. 95 Dt: 06.11.2020 Freezing on Dearness Allowance

Finance (PC&TA) Department

G.O.MS.No. 95 Dated: 06-11-2020.

Finance Department COVID-19  Freezing of Dearness Allowance to the State Government employees and Government pensioners/family pensioners at current rates till July 2021-Orders - Issued.

Read the following:-

1. Office    Memorandum    No.1/1/2020-E-II(B),    Ministry Department of    Finance, of Expenditure, Government of India, New Delhi, dated 23-04-2020.

Order:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. Recognising the extreme danger to public health and safety, preventive measures to deal with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic were initiated by the State Government in coordination with Ministry of Health &  Family Welfare, Government  of India, starting  with  the imposition of  a complete lock-down from the 24th of March 2020, followed from time to time with the issuance of guidelines & the implementation of strict containment measures  including  inter-alia  travel  restrictions,  social  distancing  measures, closure  of  entertainment,  hospitality,  non-essential  shops &  services,  and increased testing, in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.       The  imposition of  the  lock-down  measures  has  brought  economic activities across all sectors to a standstill, dramatically impacting the realisation of revenue by the State from all the sources. Further, the continued detection and reporting of the COVID-19 cases is a bellwether towards the slow revival of economic activity & continued adverse impact on revenue realisation to the State exchequer. Thus, the need to shore up the financial resources of the State for allocation to health care and allied services & for providing support to the sections of society rendered vulnerable by the COVID-19 pandemic, becomes a pressing imperative for the Government.

3.       In the reference 1st read above, the Government of India has directed that in view of the crisis arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the additional instalment   of   Dearness   Allowance   payable   to   the   Central   Government employees and Dearness Relief to Central Government pensioners, due from 1st January 2020 shall not be paid. The additional instalments of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief due from 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021 shall also not be paid. As and when the decision to release the future instalment of Dearness Allowance & Dearness Relief due from 1st July 2021 is taken by the Government of India, the rates of Dearness Allowance & Dearness Relief as effective from 1st January 2020, 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021 will be restored prospectively & will be subsumed in the cumulative revised rate effective from 1st July 2021. No arrears for the period from 1st January 2020 till 30th June 2021 shall be paid.

4.       Following the orders issued by the Government of India, and after careful consideration of the economic consequences of the measures required to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, the consequent reduction of revenue inflows & the extra burden imposed on the State’s resources to contain the epidemic and to provide  relief  to  the  people  affected/likely  to  be  affected,  the  Government hereby order for adoption of the decision of the Government of India for the freezing of Dearness Allowance at the current rates till July 2021 for the State Government employees and Pensioners/ Family Pensioners.

5.     The additional instalment of Dearness Allowance payable to State Government employees and Dearness Relief to Government Pensioners/Family Pensioners, due from 1st January 2020 shall not be paid. The additional instalments of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief due from 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021 shall also not be paid. As & when the decision to release the future instalment of Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief due from 1st July

2021 is taken by the Government, the rates of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief as effective from 1st  January 2020, 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021 will be restored prospectively and will be subsumed in the cumulative revised rate effective from 1st July 2021. No arrears for the period from 1st January, 2020 till 30th June, 2021 shall be paid.

6.       This  order  shall  be  applicable  to the teaching  and  non-teaching  staff working in Government and aided educational institutions, Polytechnics, employees under local bodies, employees governed by the University Grants Commission/All India Council for Technical Education scales of pay & all the other employees drawing pay in the prescribed Level of Pay in the Revised Scales, 2015.This order is also applicable to Judicial officers who are drawing National Judicial Pay Commission Scales & those drawing ICAR scales.

7.     Further, this order also applicable to Employees of Zilla Parishads Municipalities, Municipal Corporations who are on regular pay scales and work charged employees who are drawing regular pay scale & employees of State Govt. undertakings/ Corporations/Local bodies/Autonomous institutions under the  control  of  State  Government  whose  Dearness  Allowance  orders  are regulated with reference to orders issued by the State Government from time to time.

8.       A copy of this order is available in the Internet and can be accessed at https://goir.ap.gov.in and www.apfinance.gov.in.

(BY ORDER AND IN THE NAME OF THE GOVERNOR OF ANDHRA PRADESH)

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