The Karnataka government has announced a hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for all state government employees and pensioners from 31% to 35%. The increase comes into effect from January 1, 2023. This decision follows a long-standing demand from government employees and pensioners.
The Chief Minister’s office tweeted the news, expressing happiness for the government employees. The DA hike will be applicable to full-time government employees, employees of Zilla Panchayats, and full-time employees of aided educational institutions and universities on regular payroll.
Earlier in March, Karnataka government employees had protested for salary revision, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission report, and the reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). In response, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the formation of a committee to address these demands and submit a report.
However, following the assembly election where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost and the Congress party formed the government, the new administration has focused on increasing the DA for government employees. The employees now hope that the new government will also consider reintroducing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The increase in DA will provide a boost to the salaries and pensions of state government employees, offering financial relief and addressing their long-standing demand.