Guwahati: Following the Central Government's decision to hike Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 3%, pushing the total to 63%, state employees across India have received substantial Diwali gifts.
Major states like Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan swiftly approved matching structural adjustments, extending robust financial relief to lakhs of active personnel and retirees. However, the official green light from the Dispur Cabinet remains pending, leaving Assam state government employees anxiously calculating their own festive updates.
The disparity has triggered swift mobilization among regional trade bodies. The Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) recently stepped forward to narrow this gap, formally submitting a memorandum directly to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The apex association explicitly urged the state executive to sanction the pending 3% increment, backdated to 1 July 2026, alongside a unified, single-installment clearance of accumulated arrears.
"Releasing the enhanced DA and pending arrears promptly would provide critical financial cushioning to state employees, teachers, officers, and pensioners, boosting consumer confidence during this high-spending festive block," joint statements signed by SAKP President Kumud Kumar Kataki and Secretary General Pranabjyoti Bhuyan highlighted.
Presently, the active baseline for Assam state personnel stands locked at 60%, a parameter enacted by the state cabinet in June 2026. A subsequent 3% alignment would lift baseline compensation to 63%, translating into an extra ₹900 per month for an employee earning a base institutional pay of ₹30,000.
While an executive declaration missed the immediate window of Diwali day, veteran administrative observers point out that the Assam Finance Department traditionally requires a few weeks to compute state revenue balances before formally replicating union updates. "Constructive engagement between the executive machinery and state workforce bodies remains vital for resolving ongoing compensation adjustments," added senior state employee representative Sailendra Pandey in Guwahati.
All eyes are now pinned on the upcoming Cabinet briefing, where the state's official fiscal implementation schedule is widely anticipated to be unveiled