After Maharashtra, now Odisha hikes dearness allowance for govt employees

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave a pleasant Durga Puja Gift to all state government employees today, as he chose to hike the dearness allowance (DA) by 6%. The hike would come into effect retrospectively from July one last. It would benefit around 18 lakh government employees and pensioners.

With the hike, DA has now gone up to 119 per cent of their basic pays, according to an official release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

It will be applicable to all state government employees, including the work charged and job contract employees, besides the pension holders, the government said in a statement. This would cost an additional burden Rs 1,501 crore to the government exchequer.

The increased hike, to be implemented from July 1, will be given to the employees in their October salaries, informed sources said.