UP govt announces DA hike to 28% for 28 lakh govt employees, pensioners

The UP government has increased the dearness allowance (DA) from 17 per cent to 28 per cent for over 28 lakh government employees and pensioners. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the State Assembly said the state government will also enhance honorarium to Anganwadi Workers/Anganwadi Helpers.

The CM asked the finance department to chalk out a plan to provide the financial benefit to around 16 lakh state government employees and 12 lakh pensioners. The state government had withheld DA revision in 2020 due to financial constraints arising out of Covid-19 curbs. The Yogi government had said there won't be any DA hike from April 2020 to July 1, 2021. The new DA rates will now be applicable from July 1, 2021.

"The state government has increased the dearness allowance of govt employees to 28% (as per the Centre's mandate) with the effect from July 2021. The government will enhance honorarium to Anganwadi Workers/Anganwadi Helpers (AWWs/AWHs)," Adityanath said, news agency ANI reported.

The current DA hike order is going to benefit state government employees, pensioners, aided educational institutes and technical education institute staff, and urban local bodies employees.

The DA hike by the UP government comes more than a month after the central government increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 11 per cent from 17 per cent to 28 per cent for the central government employees. The hike was announced more than a year after the government decided to put any revisions in DA on hold.

The three instalments of DA for the central government employees and DR for pensioners due on January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021, were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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