In a festive gesture ahead of Diwali 2024, the Uttarakhand government has announced a 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for more than three lakh state employees and pensioners, bringing the rate up from 50% to 53%. Additionally, the government declared a Diwali bonus, further enhancing the festive support for its workforce.
The updated DA will be applied retroactively from July 1, 2024, with arrears covering the period from July 1 to September 30 to be paid in cash. Starting October 1, the new DA rate will be incorporated into regular salaries. This increase in allowances has been warmly received by various employee associations, who praised the government’s initiative to support its employees during the festive season.