7th Pay Commission: The DA hike will be effective from July 1 and the decision, which will benefit 3 lakh state government employees and pensioners, was taken at a meeting of the Jharkhand cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
In a piece of good news for lakhs of employees ahead of Diwali, the Jharkhand government on Tuesday hiked the dearness allowance (DA) of its employees to 58 per cent, officials said. The dearness relief (DR) for pensioners was also increased by 3 percentage points to 58 per cent, they said. Earlier, employees and pensioners used to get 55 per cent DA and DR, respectively, they added.
The hike will be effective from July 1, officials said. The decision, which will benefit 3 lakh state government employees and pensioners, was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Sikkim government announced 6% DA hike
Prior to this, the Sikkim government earlier this month announced a hike in the dearness allowance (DA) for its employees and pensioners. Employees and pensioners drawing pay in the pre-revised basic pay structure will get an additional 6 per cent DA and DR (dearness relief), respectively, according to a notification issued by the Finance Department.
With this hike, their DA and DR will rise to 252 per cent, it said. Employees and pensioners drawing pay in the revised basic pay structure will get an additional 2 per cent DA and DR. With this, their DA and DR will rise to 55 per cent, it added.
The hike will be effective from January 1, 2025. Employees appointed on a contract basis and by work-charged establishments drawing revised pay in the regular scales will also get the benefit, the notification said.
Bihar government announces 3% DA hike
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar earlier this month announced an additional 3 per cent dearness allowance for employees and pensioners, with weeks left for the announcement of the assembly elections in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who is in charge of the Finance Department, said the “festival gift” from the government would cost the state exchequer an additional Rs 917.78 crore in the current financial year. “In keeping with the Union government’s recent decision for central employees, the state government has also raised Dearness Allowance from 55 per cent to 58 per cent,” he said.
Choudhary said the hike will be effective from July 1, the same date as for central government employees and pensioners.
“The state government is committed to providing relief to lakhs of its employees and pensioners so that they do not suffer because of rising prices. It is a gift ahead of Diwali and Chhath,” he said. The hike will benefit more than 5 lakh employees and over 6 lakh pensioners, officials said.
With inputs from PTI