Kerala Announces Second DA, DR Hike Of The Year For Employees, Pensioners

The Kerala government has sanctioned a fresh instalment of dearness allowance (DA) for state employees and teachers, along with dearness relief (DR) for pensioners, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced on Saturday.

The revised payments will be implemented from September 1 and will reflect in the upcoming salary and pension disbursements. Employees covered under the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the state's medical services will also be entitled to the hike, the minister confirmed.

According to Balagopal, this decision will increase the state's annual expenditure by nearly ₹2,000 crore. "This step highlights the government's commitment to its employees and pensioners," he said, adding that this marks the second DA/DR instalment sanctioned in the current year.

Last year too, two instalments had been approved. The finance minister pointed out that despite financial pressures during the Covid-19 years, the state government fulfilled its pay revision commitments. He noted that DA arrears were cleared in cash starting from the 2021-22 financial year.

With PTI Input