Assam's Early Diwali Delight: 4% Dearness Allowance Hike for State Employees

In a delightful early Diwali announcement, the Assam government has extended a generous gift to its numerous state employees. Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that the state government has sanctioned a 4% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for its employees. With this substantial rise, the DA rate now reaches 46%.

"As a token of the Deepawali celebration, the state cabinet has greenlit a 4% Dearness Allowance (DA) raise for our esteemed state government employees. This elevation elevates the total DA for state government employees in Assam to a commendable 46%," shared the Chief Minister.

This development is poised to benefit approximately five lakh government employees in Assam, along with retired personnel. Notably, this hike in dearness allowances follows a similar initiative by the Central government, which raised DA for its employees just last month.

On October 18, the Union Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a 4% increment in Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, effective from 01.07.2023. This increase represents a rise from the previous rate of 42% of the Basic Pay/Pension and is in accordance with the recommended formula based on the 7th Central Pay Commission.

The combined financial impact on the Central government, resulting from both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief, was estimated at Rs 12,857 crore annually. This move is expected to benefit approximately 48.67 lakh Central Government employees and 67.95 lakh pensioners.