HYDERABAD: The demand for payment of the pending 18-month dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) arrears put on hold during COVID-19 is growing with each passing day. Group C and Group D employees as well as pensioners of the South Central Railways (SCR) are the latest ones to join the chorus.
At a demonstration led by SCR Mazdoor Union (SCRMU) at Rail Nilayam on Monday, the employees expressed disappointment over the Union government’s refusal to consider the payment of pending dues from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021. Around 88,000 employees fall under the two job categories which include track men, loco pilots, electrical and signal staff, train managers and others.
On the sidelines of the protest, SCRMU general secretary Ch Shankar Rao questioned the government’s move while speaking to TNIE.
“Three budgets have been passed in 2021, 2022, and 2023, but no announcement of paying our pending DA/DRs has been made by the Centre. At the same time, the government is providing tax reliefs to corporations and others. Why are its own employees being treated like this?” he asked.
To avoid further impact on the economy, which was already hampered by COVID-19, as well as to reduce pressure on its finances, the Union government withheld the three installments of DA/DR. Providing a response to MPs during the recent Monsoon Session on whether the government is considering releasing the pending dues, Union Minister of State for Finance denied it. He noted that an amount of `34,402 was saved from the exchequer’s account by freezing the three installments.