Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre for DA, DR decision, asks to stop 'unnecessary expenses'

Priyanka Gandhi slammed PM Modi government for its decision not to pay the additional instalment of DA payable to Central Government employees and DR to Central Government pensioners. She asked the Centre to stop "unnecessary expenses" on projects like the bullet train and the central vista.

New Delh: Hitting out at the Centre over its decision not to pay the additional instalment of dearness allowance (DA) payable to Central Government employees and dearness relief (DR) to Central Government pensioners, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday asked the Centre to stop "unnecessary expenses" on projects like the bullet train and the central vista.

"By what logic is the DA of government employees being cut? While the pressure of work on them has increased manifold. What is the logic for DA cut for health workers and policemen? Third and fourth class employees suffer a lot from this. People who are dependent on a pension are being hurt," said Priyanka Gandhi in a series of tweets in Hindi.

"Why the government does not stop outrageous expenses? Why did no announcement make on a 30 per cent reduction in government expenditure? Why the government is not curbing unnecessary expenses on Rs 1.2 lakh crore bullet train project and Rs 20,000 crore Parliament Building project," she asked.

The Ministry of Finance on Thursday stopped a hike in DA for the central government employees and dearness relief (DR) for the Central government pensioners till July next year.According to the order issued, no arrears will be paid for the period from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

"In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, it has been decided that the additional instalment of dearness allowance payable to Central Government employees and dearness relief to Central Government pensioners, due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid," the order said.

(ANI REPORT)