7th Pay Commission: In a major announcement, the Tamil Nadu government has raised the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 4 percent for government employees, teachers, pensioners, and family pension under the 7th Pay Commission.
Starting from April 1, 2023, the new DA increase will range from 38 percent to 42 percent. This decision will benefit around 16 lakh employees, teachers, and pensioners of the Tamil Nadu government.
Increased Expenditure of Rs 2,366.82 Crore
The implementation of the DA hike will result in an additional expenditure of Rs 2,366.82 crore for the state. Responding to the persistent requests from government employees and teachers, Chief Minister MK Stalin has given the order to implement the increase from April 1st. This decision was announced through an official release by the government.
Previous Increase in Uttar Pradesh
Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had also raised the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 4 percent for its employees, along with increasing the Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners from January 1, 2023. The decision was made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on May 16th. This DA and DR hike will benefit around 16.35 lakh employees and 11 lakh pensioners in the state.
Similarly, in April of this year, the Bihar government had also announced a 4 percent increase in DA for employees and pensioners. The Dearness Allowance (DA) is an allowance provided by the government to adjust for the cost of living for public sector employees and pensioners. This is similar to the Dearness Relief (DR) allowance given to Central Government pensioners.
When does the Dearness Allowance Changes
At the central level, the government typically adjusts the DA every six months and revises the rate of Dearness Relief. On the other hand, state governments generally announce bi-annual hikes in DA and DR in the months of January and July.