The Centre on Wednesday approved a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the DA hike was effective from July 1, 2024. Apart from this, the Dearness Relief for pensioners has also been revised by 3 per cent, Vaishnaw said. "The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2024 representing an increase of three percent (3 per cent) over the existing rate of 50 per cent of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate against price rise," the Centre said in a statement. The Centre added that the combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and DR would be Rs .9,448.35 crore per annum.
Apart from the Centre, various states have also hiked 3% DA and DR for state employees. Take a look at how many states have announced DA hike for their employees ahead of Diwali.
Chhattisgarh announces 4% DA hike
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vishnu Deo Sai announced a 4 percent increase in the dearness allowance (DA) for employees of the state government, raising the total DA to 50 percent. This hike comes ahead of Diwali. Giving details, CM Sai said the state government has decided that all state employees are currently getting 46 per cent DA and the state is increasing the DA by 4 per cent. He said from now on, they will get 50 per cent DA. The Chhattisgarh government said the updated dearness allowance of 50 percent will come into effect from October 1.
Odisha declares 4% DA hike
Ahead of Diwali, the Odisha government announced a 4% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for workers of State Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who are receiving salaries based on the Revised Scale of Pay, 2017. This increment hiked the DA from 46% to 50% and will come into effect from January 1, 2024. The state government said the increase will be applicable only to PSUs that fulfill specific financial and governance criteria.
Himachal Pradesh hikes 4% DA
The Himachal Pradesh government also announced a 4 percent increase in dearness allowance for state government employees and pensioners, starting from January 1, 2023. The state government said that the outstanding medical bills of government workers and pension arrears for individuals over 75 years old will be settled immediately. he also stated that Class-IV employees will receive a Rs 20,000 installment of their arrears in this financial year.
Sikkim hikes 4% DA for employees
Apart from all these states, the Sikkim government also increased dearness allowance for its employees by four percent ahead of Durga Puja festival. The state government said the employees will see an increase in their DA from the current 46 percent to 50 percent starting from January 1, 2024.
