The decision has been taken despite the fact that only about Rs.25,000 crore is available in the GST Compensation Fund. The balance is being released by the Centre from its own resources pending collection of cess.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs 9,544.50 crore per annum. This will benefit about 47.68 lakh Central government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners.
While asking states to ‘prepare’ themselves for a high surge in Covid-19 cases, Centre told them to re-invigorate their Covid-19 warrior teams to work at the ground level and strengthen monitoring and containment mechanisms.
While addressing the country on the arising COVID-19 pandemic situation, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, quoting WHO, said that Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant and also that 89 per cent of the eligible population in India has been vaccinated.
The Solicitor General had told the apex court yesterday that the Centre is doing a lot to contain the Coronavirus outbreak, but there are “Prophets of Doom in our country who only spread negativity, negativity, negativity”.
