Tripura announces 5 per cent DA hike ahead of Diwali, to benefit 2 lakh government employees, pensioners

A day ahead of Diwali celebrations, the state government today declared a 5 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for its employees and pensioners.

Addressing a press conference, Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury announced that important decisions were taken in today's cabinet meeting.

“As a Diwali gift, our government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, has decided to provide a 5% increase in DA/DR, effective from November 1,” he stated.

The Minister noted that Rs 500 crore will be allocated to cover the DA and DR, explaining that each 1 per cent increase in DA requires Rs 100 crore.

“The Chief Minister aims to reduce the gap with the Central government. Currently, the Central government’s DA stands at 53 per cent after a recent 3 per cent hike, while our state’s DA now stands at 30 per cent with this 5 per cent increase.

Our goal is to lessen the disparity between Central and state government allowances. Despite the recent flood situation, which caused losses of over Rs 1,700 crore, and ongoing financial challenges, we have made this bold decision. In our state, the number of pensioners and active employees is around 2 lakh,” he added.

Also read: Tripura: 2 Indian touts, one Bangladeshi national detained in Khowai district