Gujarat government announces 3% DA hike for over 9 lakh employees

The Gujarat government will be paying additional 3 per cent dearness allowance to over nine lakh government employees and pensioners effective January 1, 2019, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Saturday. This will put additional burden of Rs 1,071 crore on the exchequer annually, said Patel, who is also the finance minister of the state.

The government has also hiked the salary of teachers of secondary and senior-secondary government-aided schools to bring it on par with the salaries of teachers in government schools, he said. The hike will benefit over 6,000 teachers, Patel told reporters. The hike in DA will benefit 9,61,638 employees and pensioners, he said.

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"The state government is paying 9 per cent DA to employees and pensioners. The Central government approved 3 per cent hike in dearness allowance from January 1, 2019. The state government has also now approved 3 per cent more dearness allowance to its employees with effect from January 1," Patel stated.

It will be paid with the July salary, the minister added. The decision to hike the salaries of teachers of aided secondary and senior secondary schools was taken following a demand by the teachers’ union, he said.

"Now secondary school teachers will get Rs 31,340 and senior-secondary school teachers Rs 38,090 per month. It will benefit 1,774 secondary and 4,835 senior-secondary teachers," Patel said.