Second installment of 7% DA to be announced in October

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 23, 2025

Amidst discordant voices in a section of employees associations over grant of a meagre 3% dearness allowance and dearness relief, the state government has already decided to announce a second installment of DA and DR in the month of October. Highly placed sources in the finance department said that a second installment of 7% DA and DR for employees and pensioners will be announced by the state government in the month of October to further close the gap in DA and DR receipt by employees and pensioners between Centre and state. The announcement is slated for the first week of October to have the entire amount reimbursed by the 16th finance commission that has set the deadline of October 31 for incurring expenses on this head.

Sources said that the total gap in DA and DR payment between centre and state can not be totally neutralized because of resource constraints faced by states like Tripura. “Already we are burdened with a debt of Rs 21 thousand crores which will further increase as per the budget proposals of the the financial year 2025-2026 and there will come a breathing space after the reimbursement from the 16th finance commission is announced; since the grant of DA announcement and upgradation of pay and allowances of the employees and pensioners is closely related to the finance commission award the government has to wait for this” sources said .

The second problem for the state government is the possibility of 8th central pay commission being formed for employees and pensioners of centre . In case this happens Tripura along with other states will also be under pressure for constituting a pay commission but the resources crunch will continue to haunt all states, specially economically weaker and resource-scarce state like Tripura, sources said. “In such an eventuality the state government will have to form a pay revision committee that may recommend merger of all DA with the basic pay and recommend a booster point for further hike in the basic ; but how things finally pan out remains to be seen in the light of financial resources made available to the state governments by Centre” sources added.

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