DA Update: Govt hiked DA by 4% for employees? Check the truth

New Delhi: The Centre has declared a fake news story circulating on WhatsApp about an impending DA hike for central government employees. The government has issued a clarification on a letter that has been circulating on the messaging platform, claiming that the authorities have increased DA by 4%. 'No such order has been issued,' it says. The forged letter claimed that the Dearness Allowance for government employees had been raised from 34% to 38% as of July 1.

“A #Fake order circulating on #WhatsApp claiming that the additional installment of Dearness Allowance will effective from 01.07.2022. Department of Expenditure has not issued any such order," PIB Fact Check said on Thursday. DA hike announcements are usually made by the Department of Expenditure. Read More: 

“The President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government Employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 34 per cent to 38 per cent of the Basic Pay with effect from 1st July, 2022,” claims the fake letter on WhatsApp. The letter also states that arrears of Dearness Allowance will be paid along with the September 2022 salary. Read More: 

Based on retail inflation data, the DA and DR are typically revised twice a year, in January and July. Although inflation has remained above the RBI's upper tolerance limit of 6%, the government has yet to announce any DA increases for the year's second half.

In July, the government may consider a DA increase of up to 4%. If the report is correct, central government employees will receive a DA of 38%. The AICPI was 125.1 in January and February, and 125 in March, before rising to 126 in March. The April AICPI increased to 127.7 due to rising inflation. AICPI increased significantly to 129 in May. If the AICPI remains at that level, a 4% increase in DA is likely. In April, CPI-based inflation reached an eight-year high of 7.79%.