Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], April 16 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a state cabinet meeting where a significant decision was made to increase the dearness allowance for state government employees under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions, aligning it with the central government, effective from January 1, 2025, according to an official release.
State government spokesperson and Health Minister Rushikesh Patel while announcing this decision, stated that employees under the Seventh Pay Commission will receive a 2 per cent increase in dearness allowance, while those under the Sixth Pay Commission will receive a 6 per cent increase.
The spokesperson minister stated that the arrears for the dearness allowance difference for the three months, from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025, will be paid in a single instalment along with the April 2025 salary.
This increase in dearness allowance will benefit a total of 4.78 lakh state government employees from the state government, panchayat service, and other sectors, along with approximately 4.81 lakh retired employees (pensioners).
Furthermore, the state government will disburse a total of Rs 235 crore to employees as arrears, and an additional annual expenditure of Rs 946 crore will be incurred towards salaries, allowances, and pensions, the Spokesperson minister added.
Minister Rushikesh Patel stated that, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state cabinet has directed the Finance Department to take necessary action and issue appropriate orders to implement this decision.