Ahead of polls, Tripura announces 12% DA hike, hike in part time wages

State government employees and pensioners in Tripura will receive a 12% increase in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR). Daily, monthly, contingent, and part-time workers' wages were raised by 50%. The BJP's decision comes two months before state Legislative Assembly elections.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha told reporters at the state headquarters in Agartala that the measure would cost Rs 1,440 crore per year and benefit 1,04,600 regular employees and 80,800 pensioners.

CM Dr. Saha stated 8,600 DRW, contingent, monthly-rated, and part-time workers will gain because their monthly pay had "nearly doubled" in the last five years.

As of 2017, DRW grade-D workers received Rs 10,010, virtually doubling their compensation from Rs 5,148.

“DA, DR release, and pay raise will cost the state exchequer Rs 120 crore per month and Rs 1,440 crore per annum,” the chief minister stated.

The chief minister stated DA benefits will be retroactive from December 1 and reflected in salaries next year.

The BJP promised to grant the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and settle pending DA before the 2018 Assembly elections.

After taking office in March 2018, the BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) government offered 7th CPC benefits for state government employees and 3% DA. In August, it raised DA by 5%.

State government employees will now be 9 percent behind central government employees in DA and DR after a 12 percent raise.

DRW Grade-C workers will receive Rs 422 per day instead of Rs 270, increasing their monthly income to Rs 10,920 from Rs 7,020.
DRW (technical) personnel would now get Rs 430 per day, or Rs 11,180 per month, up from Rs 280.

Group-D DRW will receive Rs 385 per day, up from Rs 284.40, increasing their monthly compensation to Rs 10,010 from Rs 6,458.

Permanent labourers would receive Rs 10,270 per month, up from Rs 6,718.40. From Rs 7,344, MRW Group-D workers will receive Rs 11,380 per month.

From Rs 8,944, temple head priests now earn Rs 12,980 per month. From Rs 8,654, executives will receive 12,690 per month.

PTWs who work four hours a day now receive Rs 9,000 per month instead of Rs 5,900. Instead of Rs 5,670, three-hour PTWs will receive Rs 8,670 each month. PTWs working two hours per day will receive Rs 8,450 per month, up from Rs 5,450.

Village chowkidars now earn Rs 10,100 per month. Previously paid Rs 4,850, "school mothers" would now collect Rs 8,450.

Priests, Chantai (tribal priests), principal Chandipathak, chefs, and pujaris in state-supported temples would now earn Rs 10,500 per month instead of Rs 6,990. Gardeners, guards, senior sweepers, cleaners, and others would earn Rs 9,140 per month, up from Rs 5,940.

Instead of 4,181.60, social welfare and social education adult literacy teachers will receive Rs 6,420 per month.

Part-time adult literacy instructors and community health advisors would receive Rs 6,310 per month instead of Rs 4,071.60.

Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, who heads the finance department, said the BJP-IPFT coalition government came to office in 2018 and began systematically reducing the budget deficit within fiscal responsibility and budget management (FRBM) limits.

Dev Varma's March 2019 budget estimates increased capital expenditure to Rs 5,285 crore and showed a deficit of Rs 5,69.52 crore, despite the government's promises of fiscal improvement since 2018. The government just said it would implement fiscal management and FRBM standards to close the deficit.

Finance Minister Dev Varma said Tuesday that delivering DA and higher compensation to government workers required "art of handling finance, boldness and a vision," while other top government officials, including Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath, faulted a lack of funds for not recruiting degree teachers.

“This government wants to help everyone. We want Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and social benefits to benefit the most people. Again. The Rs 1,440 crore annual cost is significant. Employees will receive it. He remarked, "Despite a fund shortage, we are still giving it because we want to make it a benchmark for employees."