Several states, including Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, have announced hikes in (DA) for government employees and pensioners, while West Bengal is also expected to take a key decision on DA and pay revision soon. Here’s a look at the details:
Odisha Goverment announced 2% DA hike
Odisha Chief Minister on May 15 announced a 2 per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners.
With the revision, the DA has been raised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
The increase will be implemented retrospectively from January 1, 2026, and will be paid along with the May salary, it said.
Alongside this, the temporary increase (TI) for pensioners has also been raised by 2 per cent and will be reflected in the May pension, the statement added.
About 8.5 lakh state government employees and pensioners are expected to benefit from the announcement.
Tamil Nadu announces DA hike for government employees and teachers
government on May 14 announced an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and teachers, raising it from the current 58 per cent to 60 per cent, effective January 1, 2026.
In a statement on X, the office of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu shared, “Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru. C Joseph Vijay announces that the dearness allowance, currently at 58 per cent for government officials and teachers, will be increased to 60 per cent effective from 01.01.2026.”
According to the press release from the Tamil Nadu government, 16 lakh government employees, teachers, pensioners, and family pensioners will benefit from the measure.
The press release stated that the hike in the DA will entail an additional annual expenditure of ₹1,230 crore for the government, and the state government will allocate the necessary additional funds for this purpose.
Bihar cabinet approves DA hike for government employees and pensioners
The cabinet also approved an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners.
Employees and pensioners covered under the 6th Central Pay Commission will receive a 5 percentage points increase in DA and Dearness Relief, from 257 per cent to 262 per cent, with effect from January 1, 2026.
For employees under the 5th Central Pay Commission, DA has been increased by 9 percentage points, from 474 per cent to 483 per cent, while under the 7th Central Pay Commission, it has been raised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent.
Bengal DA hike announcement likely tomorrow
Chief Minister recently informed key decisions on DA, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission will be discussed in government’ second cabinet meeting to be held on May 18.
“Next Monday, I will hold another cabinet meeting to discuss several pressing concerns,” he said.
The CM indicated that a decision on granting Dearness Allowance (DA) to state government employees and pensioners at central rates may also be announced at Monday’s cabinet meeting.
The government is also likely to consider the formation of the Seventh Pay Commission, a move that could lead to a revision in salaries of state government employees.