A big news has come out for central government employees and pensioners. A new update has now come about the 18 -month DA (dearness allowance) arrear, which has been in discussion for a long time. The demand of employee organizations is intensifying due to the outstanding amount of dearness allowance stopped during the Kovid-19 epidemic, and this is being considered by the government. Let us understand this news in detail and know what the central employees have expectations from this update.

What is the case of 18 -month DA arrear?

During the Kovid-19 epidemic, the central government had stopped three DA installments from January 2020 to June 2021 citing economic crisis. These include installments of January 2020, July 2020, and January 2021. About 48 lakh central employees and 68 lakh pensioners were affected by this decision. Employees' organizations say that during the epidemic, the employees worked tirelessly and left no stone unturned in the service of the country. Therefore, they have the right to pay this dues. Recently, the Indian Pratiksha Mazdoor Sangh and Central Employees' organizations have written a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding to resolve the issue soon.

What is the stand of the government?

According to Finance Ministry sources, the government is seriously considering this demand. However, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in the last session of Parliament that it is not possible to release these arrears due to the financial crisis caused by Kovid-19. Nevertheless, the government can take positive steps in this direction given the constant pressure and improved economic situation of employee organizations. Some media reports claim that there may be a big announcement on this before the upcoming Diwali or in the budget session of 2025. This news has brought a ray of hope for employees and pensioners.

What will be the effect on employees?

If the government approves the DA arrear of 18 months, then it will benefit about 1.16 crore employees and pensioners. It is estimated that the payment of this outstanding amount may cost more than Rs 34,400 crore. A general employee, whose original salary is Rs 18,000, may benefit thousands of rupees according to three installments (January 2020, July 2020, and January 2021). This amount will also be helpful in increasing their monthly income for pensioners. Ramesh Kumar, a central employee from Delhi, said, “We worked day and night in the epidemic. Now we should get this dues, so that our family is financially safe.”

future prospects

Employees' organizations say that they are constantly talking to the government on this issue. In March 2025, the Central Staff Organization organized a nationwide gate meeting, calling the employees united for this demand. In addition, the announcement and recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission are also increasing the expectations of the employees. Experts believe that if the government approves DA arrears, it will boost the morale of the employees as well as encourage demand in the economy.