Punjab tricks to pay DA arrears of 2014-15 after its term ends in January 2017

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government led by Parkash Singh Badal has tricked its employees on the issue of payment of arrears of Dearness Allowance(DA) of 2014-15 which it today announced to release to the employees/pensioners of the state government in cash with prolonged time slabs. The payments may be defered for next financial year due to model code of conduct enforced before assembly elections.
The payment of DA arrear to be paid in four instalements spread over finanjcial years of 2016-17 and 2017-18. Three instalments of arrears would be paid in last quarter of 2016-17 and first quarter of 2017-18 after the term of present government ends in January 2017.
The SAD-BJP government has planned to pay atleast one instalment of the DA before the announcement of assembly elections probably to appease the emplyees with an eye on elections. This instalment would be paid in second quarter of financial year 2016-17. The second instalment would be paid in first quarter of 2017-18. The elections would be held sometime in January 2017. It means state government would be able to pay only 25 percent of the total arrears before the elections are announced.
The SAD-BJP government seems to have planned the payment of the DA arrrears in such a way that if they would not return to power the finanmcial burden would be passed on to next government. As per the schedule of payment of 50 percent of DA arrers, spread into two instalments would be paid after elections process starts and formation of new govenment in 2017. It is likely that Election Commission may stall the payment of arrears after dates of assembly elections are announced.
Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister, Punjab in a statement said that the arrears of DA w.e.f. 1-7-2014 to 28-2-2015 @7 % and arrears w.e.f. 1-1-2014 to 30-9-2014 @10% would be given to the employees and pensioners of the state government in cash. Divulging further details Mr. Dhindsa said that 50% of the DA arrears from 1 July 2014 to 28 February 2015 @ 7% shall be paid during the second quarter of financial year 2016-17 i.e. from 1 July 2016 to 30 September 2016 and pending 50% of this arrears shall be paid during the third quarter of financial year 2016-17 i.e. from 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2016.Likewise the 50% of the DA arrears from 1 January 2014 to 30 September 2015 @ 10% shall be paid during the fourth quarter of financial year i.e . from 1 January 2017 to 31 march 2017 and the rest of the 50% of this arrears shall be paid during the first quarter of financial year 2017-18 i.e. from 1 April 2017 to 30 June 2017.