Central government employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next installment of dearness allowance (DA). The central government has not yet officially announced the DA hike from July. Meanwhile, with the Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals approaching, it is expected that the government may announce the DA hike before then.

According to Manjeet Singh Patel, President of the All India NPS Employees Federation, the July DA announcement is expected before Dussehra. Therefore, employees can expect to see the benefits of the salary increase in October. However, the central government has not yet released any official information or announcement regarding this.

A 3 to 4 percent increase is expected
this time. Central government employees and pensioners are expected to receive a 3 to 4 percent increase in DA. A 4 percent increase would increase the current 60 percent DA to 64 percent. This decision is expected to directly benefit 5 million central government employees and 6.9 million pensioners.

Previously, the January DA cycle saw a 2% increase, followed by an increase in dearness allowance from 58% to 60%.

Meanwhile, the All India Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers) rose 1.2 points to 154.40 in August, according to data from the Ministry of Labor. This inflation indicator is crucial for calculating DA and DR.

How much will the salary increase if DA is 64%?

Employees with a basic salary of ₹18,000 currently receive a dearness allowance of ₹10,800 based on 60% DA. With DA reaching 64%, this allowance will increase to ₹11,520. This means their monthly DA could increase by ₹720. However, this increase is still awaited, and a final decision and official announcement from the central government are pending.

PC: The Economic times