Editor,
The Itanagar Capital Region (ICR), comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun and Nirjuli, has become the administrative, educational and commercial hub of Arunachal Pradesh. While the region has witnessed rapid urbanisation and economic growth, the house rent allowance (HRA) structure for government employees has remained largely unchanged, failing to reflect the realities of the local housing market.
The primary objective of the HRA is to compensate employees who are unable to secure government accommodation. Unfortunately, this objective is no longer being fulfilled in the ICR. Government quarters are grossly inadequate to meet the growing number of employees posted in the capital region. As a result, a majority of employees are compelled to rent accommodation in the private market, where rents have escalated significantly over the past few years due to increasing demand and limited supply.
Unlike many other parts of Arunachal, where rental accommodation remains comparatively affordable, the ICR commands substantially higher rents. Employees often spend a significant share of their monthly salary on housing alone, reducing their ability to meet other essential expenses such as education, healthcare and transportation. A uniform HRA policy across the state ignores these stark regional disparities.
A practical solution would be to classify towns in Arunachal based on their actual cost of living, rather than treating the entire state uniformly for HRA purposes. A suggested classification could be:
X Category (very high cost of living): Itanagar, Naharlagun, and Nirjuli.
Y Category (high cost of living): Pasighat, Tawang, Ziro, Namsai, Tezu, and Bomdila.
Z Category (standard cost of living): Aalo, Roing, Seppa, Daporijo, Khonsa, Changlang, Longding, Yingkiong, Anini, Hawai, Koloriang, and other district headquarters.
Such a classification would more accurately reflect prevailing rental markets and living expenses. Similar approaches are already followed elsewhere in India, where the HRA varies according to the cost of living in different cities.
The Government of Arunachal Pradesh should undertake a comprehensive study of rental rates, housing availability and occupancy of government quarters in the ICR. If the findings confirm what employees have long experienced, the government should introduce either a separate HRA category for the ICR or a special compensatory allowance for employees posted in the capital region.
This is not merely a question of higher allowances; it is about ensuring fairness. Employees who cannot access government accommodation should not have to shoulder a disproportionate financial burden simply because they serve in the state’s capital. A realistic HRA policy would improve employee welfare, enhance morale and strengthen the efficiency of the public administration.
As Arunachal continues its journey of development, employee welfare policies must evolve alongside changing economic realities. Recognising the unique cost of living in the Itanagar Capital Region through a revised HRA structure would be a timely, equitable and forward-looking reform.
Anonymous
