New Delhi, June 29: Uncertainty looms over resumption of dearness allowance (DA) for central government employees and dearness relief for pensioners who receive salaries and pensions as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Despite Minister for State for Finance, Anurag Thakur's assertion in Parliament that DA and DR will be restored from July, the government has said no such directive has been issued so far. 7th Pay Commission Latest News: Hike in TA Unlikely for Central Government Employees From July 1, Here's Why.

Central government employees and pensioners get salaries, pensions and allowances as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. DA is generally revised twice a year - in January and July. Three installments of DA for central government employees and DR for pensioners, due on January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021, were put on hold by the government in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March this year, Anurag Thakur had informed the Rajya Sabha that the pending installments of DA and DR will be restored from July. "As and when the decision to release the future installments of Dearness Allowance due from 01.07.2021 is taken, the rates of DA as effective from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 and 01.01. 2021 will be restored prospectively and will be subsumed in the cumulative revised rates effective from 01.07.2021," Thakur had said in a written reply.

However, on June 27, the Ministry of Finance said no office memorandum has been issued with regard to resumption of DA and DR. Citing a picture of an "office memorandum" which has been doing the rounds on social media and confirmed the resumption of DA and DR from next month, the Finance Ministry tweeted: "A document is doing rounds on social media claiming resumption of DA to Central Government employees & Dearness Relief to Central Government pensioners from July 2021. This OM is #FAKE. No such OM has been issued by GOI."

Meanwhile, sources told news agency IANS that the government is likely to a final call soon on whether to resume DA, and DR from July or extend the moratorium on payment by another six months.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2021 03:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).