Central government employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting an increase in their dearness allowance (DA). Initially, it was expected that the government would announce the DA hike before Dussehra, but that did not happen. Now, all eyes are on a possible announcement before Diwali. If the DA hike is announced before Diwali, it will be a very special and wonderful festival for employees.

It is expected that the next Union Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will result in a decision on the DA hike. However, the government has not yet officially announced the date of the meeting or the percentage increase. Official information on this matter will be available only after the government meeting.

How much percentage increase can there be in DA?

According to reports, central government employees and pensioners are expected to receive a 3 percent increase in DA this year. Currently, DA is 60 percent. If the government approves a 3 percent increase, it will reach 63 percent. However, this is only an estimate, and the final decision will be clear only after the government's official announcement. Previously, in October 2025, the government approved a 3 percent increase in dearness allowance, effective from July. Subsequently, the dearness allowance was increased from 55 percent to 58 percent. From January 2026, it was increased to 60 percent.

How much will the salary increase be?

If there is a 3% increase in dearness allowance, then the amount received by the employees every month as per their basic salary can increase like this.

If the basic salary is Rs 18,000, there will be an increase of Rs 540.

If the basic salary is Rs 25,000, there will be an increase of Rs 750.

If the basic salary is Rs 30,000, there will be an increase of Rs 900.

If the basic salary is Rs 40,000, there will be an increase of Rs 1,200.

The decision will be based on inflation data. The government considers the AICPI-IW for industrial workers when increasing dearness allowance. The data provided states that this index increased by 1.2 points to 154.4 in August 2026. Based on this, a 3 to 4 percent increase in dearness allowance is anticipated. All eyes are now on the government's official announcement. If a decision is made before Diwali, central government employees and pensioners may receive relief.

PC: AAJ TAK