Fact-Check: Dearness Allowance Increased By 4%? Centre Says No Such Order

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), through its fact-checking arm, has refuted false claims that the additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) will be effective from July 1 this year. The centre's nodal agency has informed that a fake order is being circulated on WhatsApp carrying the claims. It states that the DA has increased by 4%.

Terming the order as “fake”, the PIB has shared a picture of it on Twitter and wrote, “An order circulating on WhatsApp claims that the additional installment of Dearness Allowance will be effective from 01.07.2022”.

Further, the PIB fact-check team clarified that the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance has not issued any such order. “This order is fake,” the bureau wrote.

As per the picture of the fake order, its subject line reads, “Grant of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees – Revised Rules effective from 1.7.2022.”

The circular also carries a note saying “the President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 34% to 38% of the basic pay with effect from 1st July, 2022.”

The fake order also has a memorandum number along with the signature of Nirmala Dev, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India. It has been addressed to “All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India (as per standard distribution list).”

A similar fake order carrying false claims related to Dearness Allowance was circulated earlier on WhatsApp in August. Then too, PIB's fact-checking wing issued a clarification on Twitter debunking the false claims. The order stated that the DA for central government employees was enhanced from 34% to 38%.

The central government revises the DA twice a year in the month of January and July. The last revision took place in January this year when the DA was increased by 3%, from 31% to the current 34%.