Dehradun. The way has been cleared for minimum pay scales and Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees working in various departments through UPNL (Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited) in Uttarakhand. The administration has issued detailed guidelines to provide benefits to employees in three phases based on their tenure of appointment. Directions issued by the Sainik Welfare Department on September 14, 2026, clarify the payment and adjustment process.
According to the administration, the process of providing minimum pay scale and DA benefits to UPNL employees appointed prior to January 1, 2016, is already underway. Meanwhile, for employees appointed between January 1, 2016, and November 12, 2018, this process will commence on November 9, 2026. The action to grant benefits to employees appointed from November 13, 2018, to October 15, 2024, will begin on April 1, 2027.
The government order also provides relief regarding artificial breaks in service during employment. Arrangements have been made to grant minimum pay and DA benefits to UPNL employees who were working prior to January 1, 2016, and are currently serving. This is expected to bring significant relief to long-serving personnel.
Provision for Adjustment of Surplus Employees:
In departments where the number of UPNL employees exceeds the sanctioned strength, employees will first be adjusted against sanctioned posts in order of seniority based on their appointment dates. Efforts will be made to adjust remaining employees against equivalent vacant posts available in other departments. If this proves not feasible, supernumerary posts will be created.
Until adjustment takes place, the concerned employees will be paid honorariums as per the Sainik Welfare Department’s government order dated February 3, 2026. Following adjustment or the creation of supernumerary posts, arrears covering the differential amount for the period from March 1, 2026, until actual adjustment will also be disbursed.
Corporations and Autonomous Bodies Must Pay from Own Resources:
The government clarified the stance regarding corporations, councils, and autonomous institutions. In compliance with High Court orders, these organizations must decide at their own level regarding providing minimum pay scales and DA to UPNL employees. The payment must be met through the respective institution’s own financial resources, with no additional funds provided by the state government.
