SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday issued a new order regarding the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees. According to the government order, all regular government employees under the 7th Pay Commission will now be eligible for an increased DA of 42% of their basic pay, effective from January 1, 2023. This revised rate is a 4% increase from the previous rate of 38% of the basic pay.
First, let’s understand what Dearness Allowance is. It is an allowance given by the government to its employees to offset the impact of inflation and rising prices of goods and services. Essentially, it’s a way to help employees keep up with the cost of living. The amount of DA varies from state to state and is calculated as a percentage of the employee’s basic pay.
So, what does this mean for the employees? Suppose an employee’s basic pay is Rs. 20,000. Under the old rate of 38%, they would receive a DA of Rs. 7,600 (38% of Rs. 20,000). But with the new rate of 42%, they will receive a DA of Rs. 8,400 (42% of Rs. 20,000). This extra money will help the employees cope with the increased expenses due to inflation and rising costs of living.
The order also specifies that the term ‘Basic Pay’ in the revised pay structure means the pay drawn in the prescribed level in the Pay Matrix as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, excluding any other type of pay like special pay. This means that only the regular salary of the employees will be taken into consideration while calculating the DA.
Additionally, the order mentions that the arrears on account of the additional instalment of DA with effect from January 2023 shall be paid in cash in the month of May 2023 and shall form a part of salary from May 2023 onwards. This means that the employees will receive the extra money they were supposed to get from January 2023 in May 2023, along with their regular salary.
The order also states that the payment on account of Dearness Allowance involving fractions of 50 paisa and above may be rounded to the next higher rupee, while the fractions of less than 50 paisa shall be ignored. This means that if the extra money the employees are supposed to receive is more than 50 paisa, it will be rounded up to the nearest rupee, and if it’s less than 50 paisa, it will be ignored.
The order was issued by the General Administration Department under the file number GAD-CORD/113/2021-09-GAD, and the Government Order No: 93-F of 2023.
SRINAGAR: The Anantnag Patwar Association continued their sit-in protest for the seventh consecutive day at Achabal, to seek an early redressal of their demands.
The Patwar Association said they have been demanding a hike in pay scales for patwaris, departmental promotion of patwaris and girdawars, and a ban on direct recruitment of Tehsildars.
They said that construction of patwar khanas, creation of patwar halqas and girdawar circles, timely conduct of DPCs, and an increase in their allowances are also in their agenda.
“We are sitting here under the banner of All Jammu and Kashmir Patwari Association for the seventh consecutive day, to let the government know about our demands. We graduate patwaris have a grade pay issue which the government should consider.” they said.
“Education and finance departments , teachers , account officers in the finance department have a handsome grade pay. Similarly, we graduate Patwaris demand a genuine increase in our grade pay.”
The other issue is that girdawar circle and pathwar Halqa are the same since the time of Maharaja Hari Singh and we demanding for their delimitation,” they added.
“We would also like to draw the keen interest of the administration towards the direct recruitment of Naib Tehsildars and demand a 75:25 quota, like the one in vogue in the Union territory of Ladakh and 75%, Girdawars and departmental Patwaris should be promoted to Naib Tehsildar”, the protesting paatwaris further said.
Meanwhile CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami also urged the government to redress genuine demands of striking patwaris. “The strike of patwaris has paralysed the working in revenue department”, Tarigami said.
“The administration has been giving assurances and making promises that their genuine grievances would be redressed, but nothing seems to be happening on ground, forcing them to go on protest. The demands include increase in the grade pay of graduate patwaris, timely departmental promotion of patwaris,girdawaris, rent for Patwar Khanas (Private accommodation), construction of new Patwar Khanas, creation of new patwar halqas and Girdawar circles are all genuine demands, which must be fulfilled without any further delay”, Tarigami said in a statement.
He urged that the Government must talk to the representatives of the Association and take effective steps to settle their genuine demands. (GNS)
New Delhi: The seventh plane from India, carrying relief material, essentials, and emergency and critical care medicines for earthquake relief efforts for Syria and Turkey, has been despatched, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.
“On Saturday evening, earthquake relief material and equipment were sent to Syria and Turkey onboard another IAF C-17 aircraft. After offloading relief material at Damascus, the flight will head towards Adana,” said a MEA official.
“Flight is carrying 35 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, relief material, medical aid, emergency & critical care medicines, medical equipment and consumables,” said the official.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday had said that Indian teams are working day and night as a part of “Operation Dost” to help the relief and rescue operations in the earthquake-hit Turkey.
These past few days have been dominated by events that took place in Turkey and followed up in Hyderabad. Nawab Mir Barakat Ali Khan who was popularly known as Mukarram Jah Bahadur passed away in Istanbul, Turkey at 89 on January 14. His body was shifted to Hyderabad in a chartered aircraft the next day evening. A few selected groups of people were allowed to pay him their last respects that night.
The next day the general public was facilitated to enter the Chowmahalla Palace to see him for the last time between 8-00 am and 1-00 pm. The body was later shifted to Makkah Masjid where he was interned in a grave alongside the other Asaf Jahi rulers.
One question that has lingered on in the minds of the people is: Why he did not choose to be buried next to his grandfather, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Seventh Nizam, in the foreground of Masjid Judi located in the premises of King Kothi? It was the Seventh Nizam who had chosen him over his first son Azam Jah Bahadur to be his successor.
In the night of January 20th, Mukarram Jah’s first son Mir Mohammad Azmat Ali Khan Azmet Jah has been anointed as the new head of the family. The press note issued by the Palace said that the successor of Mukarram Jah was declared in the presence of “immediate family members, trustees, close friends, well-wishers, and staff members.”
Leaving out Muffakham Jah
Surprisingly, among these “immediate family members…” Muffakham Jah, the only brother of the late Prince, was not present. According to Palace sources, Muffakham Jah who was there at the Palace and later at Makkah Masjid during the last ceremonies was not informed about this succession ceremony. Why?
Muffakham Jah
What is left of the grand old Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan who owned huge tracts of land in Hyderabad and on its outskirts, Golconda Fort, several palaces, etc.? (For reference please refer to the Blue Book, a document spread over several pages. Copies of this book are available with some resourceful persons in Hyderabad).
It is sad but true that Mukarram Jah did not value his lineage or heritage and quietly left Hyderabad in 1971 never to return and stay here for long.
Yes, he did make a few sojourns to the city, visited a mosque near Katora House in the precinct of the Golconda Fort, and met a few friends and acquaintances. He is also said to have held a ceremony or two in these last 51 years in Hyderabad.
Mukarram Jah Trust
Mukarram Jah School
However, he did establish Mukarram Jah Trust for Education and Learning and, roped in some big names to be part of that trust but nothing beyond that has happened. An educational institution for boys and girls has been set up somewhere in the mid-eighties. He made a few visits to the school whenever he was in the city.
City watchers ask what he has done beyond establishing that school for Hyderabad and its people. There are many other people who have done a similar or even better job. For instance, you have Sultanul Uloom Education Society, Deccan Education Society, Madinah Education Society, Shaadan Education Society, etc. where thousands upon thousands of boys and girls are graduating every year. Hundreds of them are medical, engineering, pharmacy, education, and business management graduates.
So what is the big deal if Mukarram Jah has established one school? People ask.
Nazri Bagh in dispute
The Purdah gate of the King Kothi palace, which was the residence of Osman Ali Khan, the 7th and last Nizam of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
The status of King Kothi Palace of which only a portion—Nazri Bagh—is left with the family is not known. Even Nazri Bagh is said to have become a disputed property with no clarification from quarters that claim proximity to the Prince and his heirs.
Prince Neglects Chiran Palace
Some six acres of property spread over different parts of the premises of KBR Park belong to the late Prince. It is known by its original name Chiran Palace. The Prince and the people appointed by him have held long but unending negotiations with the State government over the status of the land. The negotiations are in limbo.
KBR Park
Mosque in Chiran Palace
Chiran Palace is occasionally used by the family. This writer interviewed Prince Mukarram Jah and his son Azmet Jah there a few years ago.
Chowmahalla Palace opened
Now we come to the Chowmahallah which has been renovated and opened for the public by Princess Esra Jah, former wife of the Prince, who holds a general power of attorney over his properties in Hyderabad. She has done a fine job. Whoever visits the palace comes out praising it. It was the Durbar Hall of this palace where the body of the Prince was kept for the people to pay their last respects.
Princess Esra accepting condolences from Telangana CM KCR
Now, the questions that the people of Hyderabad would like to ask: Princes Esra, whenever she is in Hyderabad, stays at Falaknuma Palace where a separate luxurious portion has been left aside for the family by Taj Falaknuma management. Would Azmet Jah stay in the same area as her mother? Or would he like to stay at Chowmahalla Palace where an exclusive portion has been left for occasional use?
What role would he like to play within his extended family that includes a host of hostile relations? What relations would he like to have with Hyderabad as such (that also means the government of Telangana). Finally, the most important question: Would Azmet Jah stay in Hyderabad at all, or would like to fly back to his cozy corners in the UK and the USA?
