DA hike: Punjab announces 40% increase in Dearness Allowance for this role, regularises over 1,000 jobs — Check here
DA hike news: The Punjab State government has raised the dearness allowance for 6,507 computer teachers by 40%, from 181% to 221% last week, according to a PTI report.
Further, the state has also regularised 1,007 non-teaching employees working under the Samagra Shiksha programme, it added.
The decisions were aimed as a Diwali boost for employees, as per a statement from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, the Punjab government has announced a major benefit for its employees. The government has approved a historic 40% increase in DA for 6,507 Computer Teachers (PICTES), taking it from 181% to 221%,” Mann stated.
“The state government has also regularised the services of 1,007 non-teaching employees working under Samagra Shiksha. This decision will provide greater stability and security to these employees,” he added.
In his statement, the chief minister added that the government has also decided to extend salary-related benefits to these employees. “The government is fully committed to the welfare of its employees and ensuring their secure future,” said.
“No stone is being left unturned by the state government to ensure the welfare and well-being of its employees. We are committed to providing them with a secure future and ensuring that they receive the benefits they deserve,” Mann added.
On 4 November, Mann also announced a three percentage-point increase in DA for state government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners as a Diwali gift.
Effective from 1 November, the hike will be reflected in salaries and pensions paid in December for nearly eight lakh employees and pensioners are expected to benefit.
In a post on X, Mann said the latest increase would take DA to 53%, compared with 28% when his government assumed office in 2022. He said the announcement would provide employees an annual financial benefit of approximately ₹3,988 crore.
The Chief Minister also addressed outstanding liabilities linked to the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission. He said its benefits were due from January 1, 2016, but the recommendations were implemented only in July 2021, resulting in arrears of approximately ₹14,191 crore for the period up to June 30, 2021.
Mann added that the government had prepared a phased plan to clear the liability. Pensioners were given priority, with their arrears released from April 1, 2025, while payments to serving employees began from April 1, 2026. So far, ₹4,891 crore has been released, and the remaining ₹9,300 crore will also be paid, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
Jocelyn Fernandes is a journalist and editor with nearly 13 years of experience covering the business, corporate, economy and markets beats in news.<br> As chief content producer for around three years at Livemint (Hindustan Times), Jocelyn publishes breaking stories, explainers, features and live blogs on a range of business and economy topics, including the Budget, corporate developments, stock markets, income tax, money and personal finance, cryptocurrency, government policy, impact of US tariffs, international developments and more.<br> Jocelyn's writing philosophy is focused on delivering news in an accurate and accessible format for readers. She thus focuses her news coverage on explainers and FAQs in order to breakdown business, corporate, economic, and policy topics that are of importance to everyday readers.<br> She holds a Bachelors in Mass Media (BMM) and Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Journalism and Communication and has previously written for online business and markets news site Moneycontrol (Network18), Business-to-business (B2B) trade publications — the industry magazines Power Today and Solar Today (ASAPP Media), and the national news agency United News of India (UNI).<br> Outside of work, Jocelyn keeps up-to-date with local and international news, enjoys reading fiction books, novels and short stories, and enjoys movies, travelling and art. <br> She can be found on X and LinkedIn, and reached by email: <a href="jocelyn.fernandes@htdigital.in">jocelyn.fernandes@htdigital.in</a> <br> X/ Twitter handle: <a href="https://x.com/scribeJocelyn">@scribeJocelyn</a> <br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-fernandes-journalist">LinkedIn</a>
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