DA Hike: Following the passage of the Diwali bonus for railway employees, the impatience of central government employees is growing.
Central government employees are awaiting their dearness allowance increase and Diwali bonus. It is expected that the government may announce a DA hike next week.
After the Diwali bonus for railway employees was passed, the impatience of central employees is increasing. Central employees are waiting for the hike in their dearness allowance and Diwali bonus. It is expected that the government may announce the DA hike next week. Central government employees and pensioners are waiting for the hike in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) before Diwali. Usually, the government announces this before Diwali, but this time no notification has been issued yet. On Wednesday, the government passed the performance-based bonus for railway employees.
Cabinet meeting
The Cabinet meeting held on September 24 approved a performance-linked bonus equivalent to 78 days’ salary for railway employees. However, no update was given regarding the DA or DR increase. Traditionally, these are announced in the last week of September, and arrears for July to September are paid in the first week of October.
Dissatisfaction of employee organizations
The Central Employees Federation of India (CCGEW) has expressed concern over this delay. General Secretary S.B. Yadav said that DA or DR is usually announced in the last week of September, and three months’ arrears are disbursed in early October. This time, the delay has caused dissatisfaction among employees.
How much can the increase be?
If this increase is approved, DA/DR will increase by 3%. This will increase the rate from 55% to 58%. This will directly increase the salaries and pensions of employees and pensioners.
Why is DA important?
Dearness allowance is a significant component of government employees’ income. Its purpose is to mitigate the impact of rising inflation. It is determined based on the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) and is revised twice a year, in January-June and July-December.
Last hike of 7th Pay Commission
This revision, scheduled for July-December 2025, is considered the final increase under the 7th Pay Commission. The 8th Pay Commission is expected to be implemented from January 2026. Overall, millions of employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting this government decision. If it is announced before Diwali, the festive spirit will be doubled.
