The government has decided to provide dearness allowance for all its employees. Mokhlesur Rahman, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, revealed the information while talking to reporters at his office at Secretariat this morning.
The committee, formed by the finance department to recommend the allocation of ‘dearness allowance’ for government employees under the National Pay Scale 2015, is going to meet next week to take further decisions in this regard, the senior secretary said. The seven-member committee is being headed by the principal secretary to the chief adviser.
The decisions, which will also include the percentage of the allowance, can be finalised in two to three meetings, he said.
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The senior secretary said that retired officials and employees will also get the benefit of the dearness allowance this time.
He said, “I would like to give good news to all categories of government officials and employees that setting up a pay commission is a long-term matter. In the interim, a dearness allowance committee has been set up, where I am a member. We will hold our first meeting next week where we will decide on an implementation strategy and upper limit-lower limit and fix the officer staff slab (level). However, the government will take the final decision.”
“This time, the government has agreed that pensioners should also get the dearness allowance benefit. It is very timely. So that it can be given immediately. We will try to give suggestions to the government in a short time so that it can be implemented. The sooner it goes, the better,” he said.
“From a peon to a cabinet secretary, you will get dearness allowance. But there can be two slabs (levels) — little less for officers and little more for staff — so that there is a balance. And one will be for pensioners. If we sit first next week, it will not take more than two-three meetings. It is not a matter of long-windedness.”
Regarding bringing pensioners under dearness allowance, the senior secretary said that pensioners will be included this as they have various expenses including medical expenses.
Source: the daily star