Tax

Diwali Bonanza – Dearness Allowance Hiked by 5 per Cent

Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the highest ever hike of 5 per cent in dearness allowance today. This increase is a gift to all the central government employees and pensioners. The new rate will be applied retrospectively from the month of July this year. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar, briefed the media after the Union Cabinet meeting today and stated “The government has increased the DA from 12 per cent to 17 per cent. This is the highest ever 5 per cent increase in DA in one go by the Central government”.

The hike will cost Rs 16000 crore to the government treasury. Around 50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners will be benefitted from the hike. 

Also Read: Interest Rates of Small Savings Schemes Announced for Q3 FY 2019-20

Dearness allowance is an allowance paid to the central government employees/pensioners to adjust the cost of living and to protect decline in their basic pay or pension’s real value. 

Twice every year, i.e. 1 January and 1 July, the government revises the dearness allowance rate. In the month of January this year, the rate was revised from 9 per cent to 12 per cent. The government has also decided to increase the remuneration of Asha workers from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.

All these hikes are based on the recommendations of the 7the pay commission.

Share

Recent Posts

Mutual Funds: SIP Inflows Breach Rs 19,000-Crore Mark for the First Time in February ’24

The systematic investment plan (SIP) contribution in February 2024 has crossed a new milestone. The monthly contribution tipped at Rs…

8 months ago

Income-Tax Return: A Brief Note on Annual Information Statement (AIS)

The Income-Tax (I-T) Department has directed taxpayers to access the Annual Information Statement (AIS) via the e-filing official portal and…

8 months ago

Mutual Funds: All About SIP and Market Fluctuations

Considering the vagaries of the stock market, investors often ponder over reevaluating their strategies. Whether to continue to remain invested…

8 months ago

Income-Tax Saving Through Strategic Life Insurance Planning

Financial planning is beyond just investing wisely to save on taxes; it's also related to protecting oneself and one's loved…

8 months ago

Income-Tax Return: Here’s a Note on Tax-Saving Avenues

A salaried individual earning up to Rs 5-15 lakh as net salary on an annual basis must first take stock…

9 months ago

A Quick Take on Equity-Linked Savings Scheme

Equity-linked savings schemes (ELSS), also referred to as tax-saving schemes, are equity funds that invest a significant portion of their…

9 months ago