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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami celebrated Diwali on Tuesday by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha at the BJP state office, alongside party officials and workers.
State BJP President Mahendra Bhatt and State General Secretary Ajaey Kumar were also present at the event. Later, CM Dhami visited children in Gorakhpur (Doon) on Defence Colony Road in Dehradun, where he distributed gifts and extended Diwali greetings. Earlier in the day, CM Dhami announced an increase in dearness allowance (DA) and an ad hoc bonus for state government employees. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and the Uttarakhand government issued notifications regarding the decision, following the Chief Minister's directives. The DA hike will benefit regular full-time employees of the state government, as well as officials affiliated with the University Grants Commission (UGC). A separate order will be issued for judges of the High Court, as well as the Chairman and members of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. The arrears for the DA increase, covering the period from July 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024, will be paid in cash, with the revised allowance included in the regular salary starting October 1, 2024. Non-gazetted employees of the state government, along with those in aided educational institutions, local bodies, district panchayats, and daily wage workers, will receive the ad hoc bonus. According to the government of India, the maximum limit for a 30-day bonus is Rs 7,000 and the employees in service for six months from March 31, 2024, will be given the bonus. The government employees who have worked from six months to one year will be given a bonus according to their service ratio. Casual or daily wage workers who have worked at least 240 days each year for the last three years will also be eligible for a bonus worth Rs 1,184. The order issued by the Uttarakhand government states that employees found guilty in departmental disciplinary action or criminal cases will not be eligible for the bonus. However, if an employee is reinstated after the suspension, he or she will be eligible for the bonus. (ANI)
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