West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a 4% DA hike for the government employees from New Year’s Day.
7th Pay Commission: Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 came early for the government employees of three states this year. The West Bengal, Meghalaya and Punjab governments announced DA hike for their employees this week. While Punjab announced salary hike on December 18, Meghalaya declared DA hike on December 20 and West Bengal became the latest state to announce a dearness allowance hike for the employees on December 21, 2023. Check how much salary will increase for the employees of these three states.
West Bengal Hikes DA by 4%
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a 4% DA hike for the government employees from New Year’s Day. She made the announcement while speaking at the inauguration of the Kolkata Christmas Carnival 2023 at Allen Park in Park Street area of the city.
“I announce that all 14 lakh state government employees, teaching and non-teaching staff of all schools, colleges and universities, and employees of all statutory undertakings and parastatals and pensioners would be getting another instalment of 4 per cent DA from January 1, 2024,” Banerjee said.
Saying that the provision of DA is mandatory for the central government whereas it is “optional” for the state, Banerjee said that for the DA hike, her government would have to bear an additional expense of Rs 2,400 crore.
“We raise DA periodically. Though we have a Pay Commission, we give this additionally. The Centre’s pay structure is different from ours. Their service rules are different. For us, DA is not mandatory, but optional. Despite that, we give it because our employees work day in and day out. So, keeping in mind their well-being we have taken this decision,” she added. She said under the new pay scale, the state govt has released 6 per cent DA from 2019 with an expenditure of Rs 4,144 crore in four years.
Meghalaya Hikes DA by 4%
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on December 20 announced the early release of December salary for 55,000 government employees and a hike of three per cent dearness allowance. “Merry Christmas to our team of 55,000 government employees! We are pleased to announce that December salaries are being released early. Further, DA hike of 3% has been approved,” Conrad wrote on X.
The chief minister also posted an office memorandum of the finance department in which the governor decided to approve the dearness relief for employees and pensioners from the current rate of 36 per cent to 39 per cent with effect from July 1.
Punjab Hikes DA by 4%
On December 18, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a 4 per cent hike in dearness allowance of government employees with effect from the ongoing month. After the hike, the DA will increase to 38 per cent, Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) President Amrik Singh said.
A decision in this regard was taken following a meeting with the representatives of the PSMSU here. During the meeting, Mann discussed various demands of the employees.
“Had a meeting with the representatives of Punjab State Ministerial Service Union today and discussed their issues in detail… Sharing the good news that we are going to give a new year gift to the employees… DA is increased by 4% which will be effective from 1st December 2023,” Mann said in a post on X.
The development comes as the state employees had been demanding implementation of the old pension scheme, release of pending 12 per cent DA and regularisation of contractual employees.