Government employees and pensioners in several states are set to receive higher Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) following recent announcements by state governments. After the Central Government’s decision to increase DA, states including Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan have also approved hikes to provide additional financial support to their employees.
The Gujarat government has approved a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance for state government employees ahead of Diwali. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. An official announcement is expected soon. The move is likely to benefit millions of government employees and pensioners.
Punjab Government Raises DA to 53%
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has announced a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for around 800,000 state government employees and pensioners.
With this latest revision, the DA rate in Punjab has increased to 53%. The revised allowance will be applicable from November 1, and employees and pensioners will receive the increased amount with their December salary and pension.
The Chief Minister said that when his government took office in 2022, employees were receiving 28% DA. The rate has now reached 53%. He also highlighted that, following an 8% increase announced in September, the total DA hike has reached 11% within just two months. According to him, no other government has announced such a significant increase in DA over such a short period.
Rajasthan Approves 3% DA and DR Hike
The Rajasthan government has also approved a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance for state employees and Dearness Relief for pensioners. Following the revision, the DA and DR rates will increase from 60% to 63%.
The decision is expected to benefit more than 700,000 state government employees and over 500,000 pensioners.
As per the Seventh Pay Commission, the revised DA and DR will be applicable from July 1, 2026. Employees will receive the increased DA in cash in December along with their November salary.
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Announce DA Hikes
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced a 2% increase in Dearness Allowance for state government officers, employees and pensioners.
According to an official statement, government employees will receive the revised DA from January 2026, while pensioners will get the increased Dearness Relief from July 2026.
The Chhattisgarh government has also announced a 2% increase in Dearness Allowance for its employees.
Meanwhile, the Central Government has approved a 3% DA hike, taking the rate to 63%. The revised allowance has been made effective from July.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes only. DA and DR rates, implementation dates and payment schedules are based on the information available at the time of publication. Employees and pensioners are advised to refer to official government notifications for the latest and confirmed details.