The PIB Fact handle counters misinformation on government policies and schemes.
The Finance Ministry clarified on Saturday that it has not passed any order on resumption of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for central government employees and pensioners.
A tweet on the official handle of PIB Fact Check stated, “A document is doing rounds on social media claiming that Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for Central government employees and pensioners will be resumed from July 2021. This claim is #Fake. No such announcement has been made by the Government of India.” The PIB Fact handle counters misinformation on government policies and schemes.
The fake notification had started doing the rounds of social media on Saturday. It stated that the Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief, frozen due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be resumed from July 1. The note also stated that “these orders shall be applicable to all central government employees and central government pensioners”.
The Ministry of Finance also issued a clarification on its official handle.
Based on the document, the Congress on Saturday demanded immediate release of Dearness Allowance to government employees. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted on the issue with the hashtag "Release_DA_and_DR”.
"The central government is trying to snatch the hard-earned money of 113 lakh employees engaged in the service of the country. It was a crime to rob Rs 37,500 crore from soldiers, government employees and pensioners," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
Central government employees get a Dearness Allowance of 17 per cent. In March 2020, the Union Cabinet had hiked the Dearness Allowance by 4 per cent to 21 per cent. However, in April 2020, the government halted the hikes of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for government employees and pensioners, respectively, due to the financial situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government had then said that Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would continue to be paid at the current rate 17 per cent. The Centre had paused the hike till June 2021.
The three instalments of Dearness Allowance, due on January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021, were frozen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.