Diwali Boost For Central Govt Staff As Cabinet Clears 3 Per Cent DA Hike

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a 3 per cent hike in dearness allowance and dearness relief, benefiting over 1.17 crore central government employees and pensioners.

Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the decision to increase the DA and DR ahead of Diwali.

Union Cabinet, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, approves a 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, from 60% to 63% of basic pay/pension, effective 1 July 2026.The decision will benefit around 48 lakh Central Government employees and 68 lakh pensioners, with an estimated annual exchequer impact of ₹10,016 crore. #CabinetDecisions #DAHike #CentralGovernment
— Central Secretariat Service Forum (@CSSforum_) October 28, 2026

Hike Effective From July 1

The increase will be effective from July 1, 2026.

The decision will benefit 48.54 lakh employees and 68.71 lakh pensioners.

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