Gandhinagar, Nov 4 (IANS) The Gujarat government on Wednesday announced a three per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners, benefiting more than 9.69 lakh families, with arrears for four months to be paid along with the November salary.
The decision, taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, will be effective from July 1, 2026, and brings the state’s DA rates in line with those of the Central Government, state government spokesperson and Minister Jitu Vaghani said.
The increase will benefit 4.62 lakh serving employees and approximately 5.07 lakh pensioners covered under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions.
The beneficiaries include employees of the state government, panchayat services and other institutions.
The government will pay the arrears for the four months from July to October 2026 in a single instalment. The amount will be credited to the bank accounts of employees and pensioners along with their November salaries.
Vaghani said the state government would incur an expenditure of Rs 523 crore towards the payment of arrears. The increase in DA will add an annual financial burden of Rs 1,569 crore on the state exchequer.
Announcing the decision ahead of Diwali, Vaghani said: “The government had taken the step in the interest of state employees and pensioners.”
He added, “The government is committed to the welfare of employees who worked round the clock in delivering good governance and administration in the state, and to ensuring that they could celebrate the festival with their families.”
–IANS
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