Here’s some good news for government employees in Sikkim, as the state has announced a four percent increase in the dearness allowance (DA) ahead of the Durga Puja festival. Chief Secretary VB Pathak issued an official notification on Tuesday regarding this update.
The DA for state government staff and dearness relief for pensioners will rise from the current 46 percent to 50 percent, effective January 1, 2024. Additionally, the Sikkim government stated that this DA increase will also apply to contract-based employees and those in work-charged establishments receiving revised pay in regular state government pay scales.
Earlier this year, in June, the Sikkim government had increased the dearness allowance by four percent for employees and pensioners, retroactively effective from July 1, 2023. This decision was made during the first cabinet meeting of the second Sikkim Krantikari Morcha government on June 10, led by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.
With this latest four percent hike, the total dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners will reach 46 percent. The state government indicated that this increase in DA will result in a financial impact of ₹174.6 crore on the state’s budget for the current fiscal year.