JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced a three per cent increase in the dearness allowance of State Government employees and said that the raise would be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1 this year.

The decision will lead to an additional financial burden of Rs. 245 crores on the State Government during the current financial year.

Cash payment

Ms. Raje said one month's DA would be deposited in the employees' Provident Fund, while the cash payment would be made from February. Addressing a rally of a faction of the Rajasthan State Employees' Mahasangh here on Monday, Ms. Raje said the decision, applicable to the pensioners as well, had been taken to fulfil the promises made in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto. She appealed to the employees to extend their cooperation even in adverse circumstances.

The official orders to comply with Ms. Raje's announcement were issued by the Finance Department here on Tuesday. The decision will benefit nearly 6-lakh employees and 1.25-lakh pensioners, who will get a monthly wage hike ranging between Rs. 150 and Rs. 800.

Panel appointed

Ms. Raje pointed out that the State Government had appointed a committee for improving coordination with the employees and enhancing their skills. Special steps had been taken to settle the cases of promotion and pre-litigation committees had been activated to avoid taking service matters to courts, she added.

The Chief Minister said she had always treated the employees as her family members and had taken the significant step of restoration of their bonus, stopped by the previous Congress-led Government, immediately after coming to power. She said the merger of 50 per cent DA in the basic salary had also led to a financial burden on the State Government.

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