AIDEF urges Eighth Pay Commission to revise DA and DR
The All India Defence Employees's Federation (AIDEF) is urging the Eighth Pay Commission to rethink how Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) are calculated.
Right now, these benefits use a formula based on an average price index, but AIDEF says it doesn't really match what government workers and pensioners actually spend to get by.
AIDEF says 2022-23 CPI underweights food
AIDEF is worried about the new Consumer Price Index from 2022-23, which puts less importance on food costs and more on housing, health care, and transport.
For many low-income employees and retirees, essentials like food and medical care take up most of their budget, so they feel left out by this new approach.
AIDEF seeks employee-specific cost-of-living index
The federation is pushing for a cost-of-living index made just for government employees. They also want health care and elder care costs to be included in pay and pension updates.
The decisions from the Eighth Pay Commission could shape how future benefits work for everyone in the system.