DA Hike News: Lakhs of employees and pensioners across the country are going to get the gift of DA increase and arrears. Know the new updates on dearness allowance from the central and state governments.
DA Hike Latest Update: If you are a government employee or a pensioner and are waiting for the increase in Dearness Allowance, then there is relief news for you. The stir regarding Dearness Allowance (DA) has intensified across the country. Many state governments have completed preparations to provide benefits to the employees. Expectations from the Central Government regarding the second DA increase for the year 2026 have also increased. In such a situation, the salary of lakhs of employees may increase in the coming few months. If you also want to know how much DA has increased in which state, who will get arrears and when the central government can make the next increase, then know all the updates here…
West Bengal employees got a big signal
Good news has emerged for government employees in West Bengal. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said during a program that the difference between the dearness allowance of the state and the center will be gradually reduced. He also said that the outstanding DA money will also be given to the employees in a phased manner. The Chief Minister also indicated that the increased dearness allowance may reach the accounts of the employees around Puja i.e. Navratri.
DA will increase to 38% in West Bengal
The state government has recently decided to increase dearness allowance by 20 percent. After this, DA of West Bengal employees will increase to 38 percent. Along with this, the process of 7th Pay Commission is also progressing in the state, due to which the employees are expected to get more relief in future.
Report being made on arrears in Punjab
The Punjab government has formed a sub-committee to take a decision on the pending DA and DR payments from July 2021 to March 2024. This committee will report to the government on matters related to arrears, revised salary and pension. On the other hand, employee organizations are demanding from the government to increase DA by 18 percent, implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and fulfill the remaining pending demands.
Preparation regarding dearness allowance in Himachal Pradesh also
Himachal Pradesh government is also reviewing DA and arrears of employees and pensioners. At the same time, Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation has announced to increase DA by 3 percent for its employees. Besides, bonus and minimum wages have also been increased.
You can get gifts before Onam in Kerala
The Kerala government is also considering increasing DA to employees by 2 percent before Onam. If approval is given, there will be an increase in the salaries of the employees there.
DA has increased in these states
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Odisha
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
- Maharashtra
Big expectations from the central government
The central government had increased the DA of employees from 58 percent to 60 percent in April 2026. Now everyone’s eyes are on the second DA hike of 2026. Looking at the AICPI-IW inflation data for June 2026 and the current inflation, many experts believe that next time the central government may increase the dearness allowance by 3 to 4 percent. However, the final decision will be taken only after the approval of the Central Government.
How is DA decided?
Dearness allowance is directly linked to the basic salary of the employees. To decide this, data from AICPI-IW (All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers) is used. DA is also increased when inflation increases, so that the purchasing power of the employees remains intact.