Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday turned down the top bureaucrats’ demand for awarding 20 percent dearness allowance before announcing a new pay scale for government staff. “Dearness allowance can only be given when the inflation is high. But now there’s no high inflation,” he said responding to a question from a reporter during his briefing on the proceeding of the Cabinet Economic Affairs Committee. Muhith, however, reiterated the government decision to form a new pay commission to announce a new pay scale within the tenure of the current government. The top bureaucrats, particularly the secretaries, on Monday raised the demand for 20 percent dearness allowance before the announcement of new pay scale. – UNB
