The Sikkim government has increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, with the revised rates effective from 1 January.
According to a circular reported by PTI, the DA and DR for employees and pensioners drawing pay under the pre-revised basic pay structure have been increased from 257 to 262 per cent.
For those drawing pay under the revised basic pay structure, the rates have been raised from 58 to 60 per cent.
The revised DA rates will also apply to contractual employees and personnel working in work-charged establishments who draw revised pay in the regular scales of the state government.
The revision also covers All India Service officers serving in Sikkim. For AIS officers under the pre-revised pay band and grade pay structure based on the Sixth Central Pay Commission, DA has been increased from 257 to 262 per cent. For those drawing pay under the revised basic pay structure based on the Seventh Central Pay Commission, the rate has been raised from 58 to 60 per cent.
The revised rates will be applicable from 1 January, with eligible employees and pensioners entitled to the corresponding arrears from that date.
The circular also specified that amounts involving a fraction of 50 paise or more will be rounded off to the next higher rupee, while fractions below 50 paise will be ignored.
Sikkim has around 50,000 government employees and pensioners, according to PTI.
