Shimla: Ahead of Diwali, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday announced a 5% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for govt employees and pensioners, raising it from 45% to 50%.The move will benefit around 3.5 lakh employees and pensioners, he said.Addressing a news conference in Shimla, Sukhu also announced an arrears payment of Rs 10,000 for Class-IV employees.According to a state finance department order, pensioners will receive an additional 1% dearness relief from July 1, 2023, raising the rate from 45% to 46%, and a further 4% from Jan 1, 2024, taking it to 50%.The enhanced dearness relief will be paid along with the pension for Oct 2026, payable in Nov. However, govt will issue a separate order regarding the payment of arrears for the period from July 1, 2023, to Sept 30, 2026.
