The government has revised the variable dearness allowance (VDA) for around 1.5 crore workers, including casual and contract working in the central sector establishments such as railways, mines, oil field and major ports. The VDA will be in the range of Rs 105-210 per month with effect from April 1, 2021.
The last revision of VDA was made in October 2020.
An unskilled construction worker in a metro city like Delhi or Mumbai will now get Rs 16,770 a month, considering he works for 26 days in a month, chief labour commissioner (Central) D P S Negi said.
In a statement, the labour ministry said the revised rate for variable dearness allowance (VDA) has already been notified. VDA is revised on the basis of average Consumer Price Index for industrial workers (CPI-IW) compiled by the Labour Bureau. The average CPI-IW for the months of July to December 2020 has been used for undertaking the latest VDA revision.
Labour minister Santosh Gangwar said, “The revision will benefit about 1.5 crore workers engaged in various scheduled employments in central sphere across the country. This hike in VDA will support these workers particularly in the current pandemic times”.
These rates are equally applicable to contract and casual workers, he said.