The increase will benefit nearly 8 lakh state government employees and pensioners, according to News18.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners on Wednesday, according to News18. The increase will take the DA rate to 53 per cent from the previous 50 per cent.
The revised DA and DR will come into effect from November 1, with the enhanced amounts reflected in salaries and pensions paid in December. Mann stated that the hike would benefit nearly 8 lakh employees and pensioners and would provide an annual financial benefit of approximately Rs 3,988 crore.
This announcement follows an 8 per cent increase in DA announced in September. The cumulative increase over the last two months stands at 11 per cent, which Mann said would benefit employees and pensioners by Rs 1,813 crore during the current financial year.
The Chief Minister also addressed pending liabilities from the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission. He stated that arrears of approximately Rs 14,191 crore exist for the period between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2021. Mann said the government has a phased plan to clear these dues, noting that Rs 4,891 crore have been released so far.
Regarding recruitment, Mann claimed the government has provided 71,777 jobs over the past four years and nine months based on merit. He added that the state government has increased the DA rate from 28 per cent when it assumed office in 2022 to the current 53 per cent.
