COVID-19: TN freezes DA, earned leave for employees
Pointing to the Centre's recent communique thatadditional installment of DA to its employees and pensionersdue from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid, a Government Order(GO) said Tamil Nadu toed the Union government's rate ofdearness allowance for its employees, pensioners and familypensioners.
Hence, Tamil Nadu has decided to follow the Centre'sdecision to put on hold the additional DA payout as well, itsaid.
Also, in view of "the severe fiscal crisis arising out ofthe COVID-19 pandemic," the government has decided to freezethe additional Dearness Allowance payout till July 2021, theorder said.
As per a GO of last year, effective July 1, 2019, therate of Dearness Allowance was 17 per cent of basic pay.
It was a revision following orders by the Centreenhancing the DA for its employees.
Ahead of that enchancement, the rate of DA stood at 12per cent for Tamil Nadu government employees.
Accordingly, the additional installment of DA payable togovernment employees, teachers, pensioners, family pensionersdue from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid.
"The additional installments of DA due from July 1, 2020and January 1, 2021 shall also not be paid," it said.
The order is applicable to teaching, non-teaching staffin aided educational institutions and employees under localbodies as well.
In another G.O, the government said the periodicialsurrender of earned leave for encashment for 15 days everyyear/30 days every two years stands suspended initially forone year to all government employees and teachers.
"All surrender requests and bills pending as on date,irrespective of their stage of sanction and disbursement,shall not be processed.
The curb covers local bodies and institutions under thegovernment as well," the order said. VGNRAVINDRANATH VGNRAVINDRANATH