In a major decision to manage the fiscal strain caused by Covid-19 relief measures, the Tamil Nadu government has suspended encashment of earned leave by its employees, teachers and others, and froze the dearness allowance, even for pensioners, at the current level till July 2021. Government employees and teachers can surrender and encash 15 days of earned leave every year.
 
Similarly, all surrender requests and bills pending would not be processed, it said and added, earned leave encashment sanctions would be cancelled and the leave credited back. The government order is also applicable for all constitutional/statutory bodies, state corporations, universities, local bodies, commissions, companies and others, as per a report in IANS.
 
The dearness allowance for the state government employees are similar to that of the central government employees.
 
According to Tamil Nadu government, the additional instalment of dearness allowance to employees, pensioners and others due from January 1, 2020 would not be paid.
 
As and when the decision to release the dearness allowance from July 1, 2021, the rates effective from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 would be restored, prospectively, and would be subsumed in the cumulative revised rate effective from July 1, 2021, it said.
 
Applicability of this order
 
The decision is applicable to teaching and non-teaching staff working in aided educational institutions, employees under local bodies, employees governed by UGC and AICTE scales of pay. The new order will also be applicable on teachers/physical education directors, librarians in government and aided polytechnics, special diploma institutions, village assistants, noon meal organisers, Anganwadi workers, cooks, helpers and others.