HC seeks Himachal govt reply on DA parity plea by employees

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court has issued a notice to the state govt on a petition seeking dearness allowance (DA) for state employees at par with their central government counterparts.The bench, headed by Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj, directed the state govt to file its response within four weeks. The petitioner contended that the state is currently paying DA at 45%, while central govt employees receive 60%. The 15% gap, he argued, results in a monthly loss of nearly Rs 10,000. He has sought directions to the state govt to grant DA at par with the Centre. The matter is listed for hearing on June 4.In the plea, employees argued that DA is an essential component of salary meant to offset the impact of inflation. They alleged that the state govt has failed to revise the DA in line with the Centre, resulting in financial disparity.The petition also points out that Himachal does not have its own pay commission and usually follows the Punjab's pattern. Employees have demanded the immediate release of pending DA instalments from July 1, 2024. In a similar case, the court has scheduled the hearing for May 28.MSID:: 130680116 413 |