DA Hike : After central government employees, there’s good news for the 800,000 Punjab government employees and pensioners. Four days before Diwali, the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab announced a 3% increase in dearness allowance (Punjab DA Hike 2026). While offering Diwali gifts to the state’s approximately 800,000 employees and pensioners, Chief Minister Mann said, With this latest increase, the total dearness allowance has now risen to 53%.
Punjab Government Hikes DA
He recalled that when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power in the state in 2022, the DA rate was only 28%. Thus, the government has increased the DA by a total of 11% in just the last two months, compared to the previous 8% increase.
Over 71 thousand jobs have been created.
Regarding employment, the Chief Minister stated that his administration has offered 71,777 new government positions to the youth, ensuring complete transparency and merit in the process. He reassured employees that they could always approach the government to voice any of their concerns or requests, encouraging them to share their thoughts at any time.
Several states, including Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, have raised the dearness allowance
In anticipation of Diwali, numerous states across the nation have increased their dearness allowance. This includes Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. Notably, Tamil Nadu has raised the dearness allowance by 3%, while Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan have opted for a 2% increase each.
The central government has also raised the dearness allowance by 3%
Previously, the central government officially sanctioned a 3% increase in dearness allowance (DA DR Hike 2026) and dearness relief (DR Hike 2026), bringing the total to 63%. On Wednesday, the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved development and welfare initiatives amounting to Rs 29,267 crore.