Raipur, Mar 15 (PTI) Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday made several announcements, including a four per cent hike in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for the state government employees.
Addressing a press conference here, Sai also announced to constitute a five-member committee to address the demands and grievances of contractual and other state government employees.
“We have decided to increase the DA by four per cent under the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees and also to hike the Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners by four per cent,” he said.
The decision will benefit around 3.90 lakh state government employees and 1.20 lakh pensioners. The hike will be effective from March 1 this year, Sai added.
With this increase, the DA under the Seventh Pay Commission will reach 46 per cent, and 230 per cent under the Sixth Pay Commission. The hike will put an additional burden of Rs 816 crore per annum on the exchequer, officials said.
The officers and employees of the state will also be given the last instalment of arrears under the Seventh Pay Commission, Sai said.
The CM said that his party had promised (ahead of the assembly polls last year) to address the demands and grievances of contractual and other employees, and for the purpose a committee headed by Principal Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Niharika Barik has been constituted.
“The five-member committee will review the demands and issues of the employees, and after holding discussions with the representatives of various employees unions, will submit its suggestions to the government,” he said.
The representatives of employees’ unions will also be accommodated in the committee, he said.
Another committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the state’s Home Secretary to review the cases lodged against journalists (during the previous Congress government), Sai said.
“There were complaints that false cases were lodged against journalists and people linked to the media fraternity. The committee will review these cases and ensure justice to them. Journalists will also be appointed in this committee,” he added. PTI TKP NP
