Just weeks before the announcement of poll schedules for Lok Sabha and in a significant move to boost the financial well-being of government employees and pensioners, Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Tuesday declared a 5% Dearness Allowance (DA) effective from January 1, 2024.

This marks the third time under his leadership that such an announcement has been made.

 Addressing the Tripura Legislative Assembly on the third day on Tuesday, Chief Minister Dr Saha highlighted the government's commitment to supporting its workforce, even during challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

He emphasized that while some governments were compelled to halt salaries, his administration went ahead and announced a DA increment to alleviate the financial burden on employees and pensioners. "With great pleasure, I announce a 5% DA for government employees and pensioners, reflecting our dedication to their welfare. In the face of adversity, our government has consistently prioritized the well-being of our workforce. This decision will result in an additional expenditure of Rs 500 crores from the government," said Dr Saha.

The Chief Minister underscored the significance of this move, especially considering the substantial impact it will have on the lives of over 1 lakh 6 thousand government employees and 82,000 pensioners.

An official said that after coming into power in March 2018, the BJP government has revised the pay scales with effect from October 1, 2018 based on the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations. Thereafter, the state government has released the DA twice (upto 8 per cent and 12 per cent) to its employees and pensioners. State government employees and pensioners had long been demanding from the state government that their DA and Dearness Relief be equal to that of Central government employees and pensioners.