By TC News Desk
Agartala, 30th October 2024 : In a festive gesture on the eve of Diwali, the Tripura government has announced a 5% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state employees and pensioners, benefiting nearly 2 lakh people. This announcement came during a press briefing by Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury following a cabinet meeting.
Minister Chowdhury explained that the increase, approved under the leadership of Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, will take effect from November 1. “This Diwali gift reflects our commitment to support our employees despite economic challenges,” he said. The Minister shared that Rs 500 crore has been earmarked to fund the hike, with each 1% increase costing the state Rs 100 crore.
Chowdhury further emphasized the Chief Minister’s vision to close the gap between state and Central government allowances, as the Central DA now stands at 53% after a recent 3% increase. With this new hike, Tripura’s DA has reached 30%. “Even with recent financial setbacks from the flood disaster, which caused over Rs 1,700 crore in losses, we are pushing forward with this increase to support our employees and pensioners,” he added.