This State Announces 10% DA Hike for State Employees From March! Check Who Will Get Benefit

The state government has brought a big piece of good news for the government employees of the state of Kerala. After a long wait, a government directive has been issued on Friday (February 20) to announce an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA). The 10 percent DA increase in one go is expected to bring about a major change in the salary structure of the employees.

How much has the DA increased and when will it be effective?

According to the notification issued by the state government, the DA rate on the basic salary has been increased from 25 percent to 35 percent. That is, a direct 10 percent increase. With the implementation of this increased rate, there will be a significant increase in the monthly income of government employees. The directive has clarified that this increased DA will be credited to the bank accounts of the employees along with the salary for the month of March.

Who will get this benefit?

A large number of people are going to benefit from this decision of the government. The list of beneficiaries includes:

State government employees.
Employees of local self-government institutions.
Teachers and non-teaching employees of government-aided schools, colleges and polytechnics.
Full-time contingent employees.

Also, part-time teachers and part-time contingent employees will be covered under this facility. In their case, DA will be calculated based on the eligible salary.

Relief for pensioners

There is good news not only for working people but also for retired employees. Dearness Relief (DR) has been increased by 10 percent for state service pensioners, family pensioners and ex-gratia recipients. However, while employees will get an increased salary in March, pensioners will get this additional money along with their pension for April.

Arrears and other rules

Despite the increase in DA, no details have been given yet on how arrears will be settled. The government has said that a separate guideline will be issued soon on the method of settling arrears.

Funding and Expenditure:

Local bodies have been asked to bear the additional expenditure from their own funds.

Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Autonomous Bodies and Boards can implement the new DA rates by taking a decision in their board meetings as per their financial capacity.

Organizations which receive more than 90 percent of their salary or pension from government grants can implement this increase without separate approval from the government.

However, it should be noted that employees of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will not be covered by this order. Separate guidelines will be issued for them.