The latest news on the actual status of 18 Months DA Arrears reveals that the Central Government has no plans to release the arrears, which were stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic, to Central Government Employees.
Starting in January 2022, the central government has made the decision not to provide its employees with the 18 months’ worth of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears that were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically from January 2021 to June 2021. Additionally, the DA and DR arrears were halted for a year and a half for central government employees, pensioners, and family pensioners due to the pandemic.
Current Status of 18 DA Arrears
Looking for the latest update on the release of 18 months’ worth of DA arrears for Central Government employees and pensioners that were stopped during Covid-19?
Look no further than the announcement from Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary. The decision to freeze three instalments of Dearness Allowance (DA)/Dearness Relief (DR) was made in response to the economic disruption caused by the pandemic. While releasing the arrears of DA/DR, which mainly pertain to the challenging period of FY 2020-21, is not currently feasible, the Government saved and utilized an impressive amount of 34,402.32 crores by freezing three installments of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief to mitigate the pandemic’s economic impact on Central Government employees and pensioners.
18 months DA arrears Latest News Today 2023
The Secretary of the National Council (JCM) Staff Side, Shiva Gopal Mishra, wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary addressing the matter of 18 months DA arrears. Mishra mentioned that the payment of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020, and 01.01.2021, along with the arrears, had been extensively discussed. He also cited the earlier judgement of the Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No 399 of 2021, which established that Salaries and Pensions were rightful entitlements of the employees and should be paid according to the law. Mishra stressed that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Central Government Employees had continued their duties despite the circumstances, and it is important to consider their legitimate payment of Dearness Allowance arrears for 18 months sympathetically. He urged the necessary authorities to take action and issue instructions for the payment of the arrears.
DA arrears for 18 Months Status 2022
As of 2022, the Staff Side of National Council JCM cannot confirm if the arrears for this period will be paid.
In 2022, the latest news regarding 18 Months DA Arrears is a hot topic among India’s leading news channels. While the National Council JCM and other employees federations are demanding payment for the 18-month period from January 2020 to June 2021, the Central Government is maintaining its stance of no arrears payment.
The Department of Expenditure’s order, dated April 23, 2020, stated that no arrears would be paid for the period from January 2020 to June 2021. However, on July 20, 2021, the government decided to release three DA instalments, increasing the rate of Dearness Allowance to 28% of basic pay from the existing rate of 17% with effect from July 1, 2021. This increase subsumes the additional instalments arising from January 2020 to January 2021.
18 DA Arrears Table
The table below shows the rates of DA and DR from 2016 to 2022. From July to December 2022, the rate is 38%. From January to June 2022, it is 34%. There was no DA and DR from January to June 2021 but from July to December 2021, the rate was 31%. From January to December 2020, there was no DA and DR. From July to December 2020, the rate was 17%, and from January to June 2020, it was 17%. In 2019, the rate was 17% from July to December while it was 12% from January to June. In 2018, it was 9% from July to December and 7% from January to June. In 2017, it was 5% from July to December and 4% from January to June. Finally, in 2016, it was 2% from July to December and 0% from January to June.
January to June 2022: Rates of DA and DR
| July to December 2022 | 38% (34%+4%=38%) |
| January to June 2022 | 34% (31%+4%=34%) |
January to June 2021: No DA and DR
| July to December 2021 | 31% (28%+3%=31%) |
| January to June 2021 | 17% (24%+4%=28%) |
January to December 2020: No DA and DR
| July to December 2020 | 17% (21%+3%=24%) |
| January to June 2020 | 17% (17%+4%=21%) |
DA Rates Table 2019
| July to December 2019 | 17% (12%+5%)=17% |
| January to June 2019 | 12% (9%+3%=12%) |
18 Months DA Arrears Calculator
This tool is designed to assist you in calculating your Dearness Allowance (D.A.) arrears for the past 18 months from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2021. Simply select your pay matrix level and enter your basic salary to obtain an estimate of the arrears amount. Click on the link to learn more.
[Click to calculate your arrears]
DA and DR Arrears Latest News 2023
In addition, a salary and pension hike is expected from January 2023, with the Cabinet Committee set to approve an increase in the Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees, bringing a 4% hike in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission DA formula. This hike will have a positive impact on employees, pensioners, and family pensioners, and they can also expect to receive arrears for Jan and Feb 2023 alongside their upcoming salary or pension earnings.
We leave it to our dearest PM and Madam Nirmala to decide our case of DA/DR arrears. Inspite of lock down and other severe measures to contain the pandemic we were supplied with essential items like food, medicines and vaccines at no cost or lowest ever cost. One positive side of hike in fuel prices is that all 140 crores of Indians are tax payers either direct and or indirect that makes our economy stronger than ever. Even a beggar has to pay ₹2 extra as tax even for a soap he buys at the end of the day. Even if all banks world over fail Indian banks grow stronger day by day and takes our economy to number one soon. Economies of other top G20 countries are sagging day by day due to their direct or indirect support to Russian war.
We remain neutral to war and stands for peace and dialogue. We only know that there is no winner in a war and all are losers. We get oil from Russia for next to nothing in exchange for food items vital for their survival. Petrol & Diesel can be sold at ₹35 and ₹30 using Russian crude oil flowing like Ganga river from Russia. We r selling it at more than 3 times and that is the secret of our economy. Another reason is our whopping GST collections which is just like our TDS for individuals IT. Last but not the least is digital India & Make in India etc of our PM’s vision of India becoming World no. 1.
We have no enemies but only friends. India is the only country that is an active player in G20, BRICSS, SCO, QUAD, SAARC etc. Pakisthan has become a failed state in every sense, be it political, economical or even in their exports of terrorism. We export the most high tech and high skilled manpower which even China cannot do because 60% of their population are senior citizens who r not required even in their own homes leave alone elsewhere. Our Indians worked day & night to overtake China in population and we have more than 70% young men & women between 18 and 40 who r ready to go and work anywhere including the North and South Pole or even in Sahara for a higher salary that is better than their homeland.
No surprise that Madam Kamala Harris became even the US President ( for 2 hrs) and the next President in waiting serving as Vice President with executive powers that no other VP of the US ever before.
An Indian origin man became the UK Prime Minister and his wife the first Lady of UK, Mr & Mrs. Rishi Sunak. First time in the history of the world, an Indian, Justice Dal Vir Singh Bhandari became the Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice defeating his UK rival Christopher Greenwood by a huge margin 183 vs 10. 193 countries voted and 183 voted for Justice Bhandari leaving Britain in shame, a post held by a British for the last 71 years unopposed till yesterday. Modi and his team played this game and won. No other leader in this world is so well-known & acceptable to all. After a span of 25 or 30 years each and every country in this world will have an Indian ( POI) as its PM or President including China & Pakistan is my prediction.