The Uttarakhand government has announced a 3% increase in the dearness allowance (DA) for government employees, effective from July 1, 2024. The DA will increase from 50% to 53% of the basic pay.
The arrears of DA for the period from July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024 will be paid in cash. From October 1, 2024 onwards, the increased DA will be added to the regular salary.
The order will not automatically extend to high court judges, the chairman and members of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, and employees in certain other categories. Separate orders will be issued for these groups.
In addition to the DA hike, the government has also announced an ad-hoc bonus for non-gazetted employees of state-aided educational institutions, local bodies, district panchayats, and daily wage workers for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The bonus will be a 30-day bonus, capped at ₹7,000. It will be applicable to employees who were in service as of March 31, 2024, with at least six months of continuous service.
The ad-hoc bonus amount will be calculated based on the average yearly earnings, with a maximum capped at ₹7,000. For example, for a 30-day period, this would amount to ₹6,908.
Casual and daily wage employees who have worked a minimum of 240 days annually over the past three years (for six-day-a-week offices) will also qualify for this bonus, amounting to ₹1,184.
Employees found guilty of departmental misconduct or involved in criminal cases will not be eligible for the bonus. However, those reinstated after suspension will qualify.