Bengal govt pensioners’ DA relief up 17%

HT, 7 January 2017, KOLKATA: Good news for pensioners and family pensioners of the Bengal government. The state government has decided to make an upward revision of their dearness relief by 17 percentage points.

According to a notification issued by the joint secretary to the state finance department, BC Ranjan, the new dearness relief would be 173% of basic pension and dearness pension taken together with effect from January 1, 2017.

Earlier, the rate was 156% of the basic pension and dearness pension taken together.

As per the notification, the payment of upwardly revised limit involving a fraction of rupee shall be rounded off to the next higher rupee. “It will now be the responsibility of the pension disbursing authority to calculate the quantum of relief on Pension/ Family Pension-payable to each individual case and to make necessary adjustment for overpayment or underpayment, if any,” the notification has read.

As per the notification, for the purpose of payment of relief sanctioned herein, the Principal Accountant General, West Bengal, will issue authority to the public sector banks in Kolkata and the accountant general of other states.