7th Pay Commission Latest News: Centre Relaxes Children Education Allowance Claim Guidelines For Govt Employees | Details Here

7th Pay Commission Latest News Today 2 July 2021: Ahead of hike in Dearness Allowance (DA), the Centre has relaxed Children Education Allowance (CEA) claim guidelines for government employees. This news will bring cheers to them.

7th Pay Commission Latest News Today: Here comes a piece of good news for the Central government employees. Ahead of their expected hike in Dearness Allowance, the Centre on Friday relaxed the Children Education Allowance (CEA) claim guidelines for the government employees. It is a time of double bonanza for the Central government employees during this pandemic time. As per media reports, the Department of Personnel and Training has issued an office memorandum in this regard and decided to relax provisions for Children Education Allowance (CEA). Notably, the move from the Centre has been taken in view of the difficulties faced by Central Government Employees due to the Covid lockdowns during 2020-21 academic year.

In general, the Central government employees get Rs 2250 per month in lieu of CEA as per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission. However, due to the prevailing Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the government employees were facing difficulty in claiming CEA for their children.

Now the DoPT has issued the Office Memorandum and said that the CEA claims can be made through a self-certification from the concerned employees or through printout of e-mail/SMS of result/report card/fee payment, in addition to the prescribed modes of claims. This relaxation will apply only for the academic years ending March, 2020 and March, 2021.

“This Department has been receiving several references/ queries from Central Government employees stating that in the prevailing pandemic situation, result/report cards were not sent to the parents by the School through SM S / email, and fee is also being deposited online, and the parents are having difficulty in claiming CEA,” the DoPT said in an Office Memorandum dated 1st July 2021.

“The matter has been considered and it has been decided that … the CEA claims may also be considered through a self-certification made from the concerned employees or through printout of e-mail/SMS of result/report card/fee payment, in addition to the prescribed modes of claims only for the academic years ending March, 2020 and March, 2021,” it added.

Furthermore, the DoPT stated that the CEA claim cases already settled in favour of the Central Government servants need not be reopened.

As per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, the CEA should be paid to the employees at the rate of Rs 2250 per month. The rate for hostel subsidy per month was Rs 6750. The 7th Pay Commission also recommended that whenever DA increases by 50 per cent, CEA and Hostel Subsidy should increase by 25 per cent.