7th pay commission: DA, HBA and other relief measures announced for 1.12 cr central govt employees, pensioners

As many as 1.12 crore Central government employees and pensioners are going to receive added benefits from the 7th pay commission. The Central government has restored the DA (Dearness Allowance) and 7th CPC DR (Dearness Relief) benefit of the pay commission.The last three installments will come by the end of September along with the salary.Here are some key announcements from the 7th pay commission:Submission of Travelling Allowance: Effective from 15 June, 2021. The time limit for submitting the travelling allowance has been increased to 120 days now which was previously 60 days.It is expected to help the retiring employees because submission of the allowance claims within the 60-day time limit was difficult for them.Pension Benefit: The Central government has simplified the pension rules for its former employees. The provisional family pension will now be granted immediately when the eligible family members present receipt of claim for Family Pension and Death Certificate.They do not need to wait for other formalities or procedural requirements to be completed.Pay Slip for pensioners: They are going to receive pension slips with a complete break up through email, SMS and WhatsApp.The new provision will be effective from 1 July. The Central government has directed banks to issue slips through online modes or SMS.House Building Advance (HBA) benefit: The government has also introduced HBA for those employees who want to build their houses. The HBA benefit is going to remain available till 31 March 2022. An interest of 7.9 percent will be charged on this HBA.