Kerala Raises DA to 35 Percent for Government Employees and Pensioners

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees, teachers and pensioners from 25 percent to 35 percent, as per an order issued by the Finance Department. The revised allowance will be paid along with the March salary, according to a government order issued by the Finance Department.

The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary K R Jyothilal, grants a 10 percent DA hike. Earlier, a three percent increase had been released as a separate installment in February. With the latest decision, a total increase of 13 percent in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief (DR) has been implemented within a month.

The revised DA will apply to government and local body employees, teachers, and staff of aided schools, colleges and polytechnics. Full-time contingent employees, part-time teachers, part-time contingent staff and re-employed pensioners will also benefit from the increase. A similar hike has been approved for Dearness Relief for state service pensioners, family pensioners and other eligible categories, with the enhanced amount to be paid along with the April pension.

The order said DA and DR arrears will be addressed through a separate notification. It also clarified that local bodies will have to meet the additional financial burden from their own resources. Public sector undertakings, statutory corporations, autonomous bodies and grant-in-aid institutions following the state DA pattern can implement the hike based on decisions taken by their respective governing bodies, depending on financial capacity.

If such organisations are unable to meet the additional expenditure from their own funds, prior government approval will be required. However, institutions where more than 90 percent of salary or pension expenditure is supported by government grants can release the revised DA and DR with the approval of their governing body.

The order clarified that the revision does not apply to the Kerala State Electricity Board and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, which will issue separate orders on DA and DR.

The move continues the LDF government’s policy of protecting employee and pensioner benefits. The first Pinarayi Vijayan government had earlier cleared DA and DR arrears in February 2021 through a combined 16 percent hike, ensuring financial relief for employees. During the Covid period, while the Centre withheld three installments of DA for its employees and several states followed the same approach, Kerala continued to ensure these benefits.