The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Monday announced a 3% increase in dearness allowance (or DA) for state government employees and pensioners ahead of the holiday season. The increase will take effect on January 1 of the following year. According to a public statement, the chief minister approved the proposal to raise the DA from 31% to 34%. In a similar vein, the state government raised the dearness relief for its retired employees by 3%.
According to the chief minister’s office, employees will receive the additional DA and TI amount in their September salary and pension along with an eight-month arrear. The release stated that the DA arrears for the months of January through August would be paid out separately.
The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act of 2005, which governs government spending, was taken into account when making the decision, according to the press release.
The DA increase will benefit up to 4 lakh employees and 3.5 lakh pensioners.
Ahead of Navratri and Durga Puja, the central government is reportedly planning to announce a raise in the DA. Yet, there hasn’t been any official source confirmation.
