Punjab govt employees get 3% DA hike: Check how much more you will get every month
Punjab has raised DA by 3% to 53% for 8 lakh employees and pensioners. See the monthly gain on a salary of Rs 40,000, Rs 60,000 and Rs 1 lakh
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Government has raised the dearness allowance (DA) of its employees and pensioners by 3 per cent, taking it to 53 per cent. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made the announcement in Chandigarh. About 8 lakh employees and pensioners will benefit.
According to CM Bhagwant Mann, the increase will cost the state around Rs 363 crore. He said the higher DA would show up in the November salary and pensioners will get it with their December pension.Â
CM Mann said when his government took charge in 2022, employees were getting 28 per cent DA. It has gone up in stages since then. The last hike came in September 2026, when DA was raised by 8 per cent, from 42 to 50 per cent.
What the hike means for your pay
The 3 per cent increase works out as follows:
Basic pay of Rs 40,000: Rs 1,200 more every month
Basic pay of Rs 60,000: Rs 1,800 more every month
Basic pay of Rs 1 lakh: Rs 3,000 more every month
At the new rate of 53 per cent, the total DA payable will be:
Basic pay of Rs 40,000: Rs 21,200
Basic pay of Rs 60,000: Rs 31,800
Basic pay of Rs 1 lakh: Rs 53,000
The DA disputeÂ
The hike comes after months of tension between the government and employee unions.
On August 3, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state to release pending DA and DR dues of about Rs 14,191 crore to employees and pensioners within 15 days. Delays would attract 6 per cent annual interest.
August 7: With no payment made, employee organisations began protests and demanded the pending DA instalments and arrears.
August 27: Unions held a statewide strike and mass leave. They claimed more than 3 lakh employees took part. A planned meeting with the CM did not take place. The government treated the mass leave as unauthorised absence and ordered notices.
Early September: The government proposed raising DA from 42 to 60 per cent for around 85,000 employees recruited after 17 July 2020, whose pay follows the Centre’s 7th Pay Commission pattern. Unions said this did not meet the demands of all employees.
September 8 to 11: Employees went on a pen-down strike. The government ordered 'no work, no pay' for those who stayed away.
September 18: After a meeting between the CM and unions, the government announced an 8 per cent DA hike, taking it from 42 to 50 per cent. The unions suspended their agitation.
September 23: The Finance Department issued the notification, effective September 1, 2026. The benefit was paid with the September salary and October pension.
The case in the Supreme Court
The state government has challenged the High Court’s order in the Supreme Court. It filed a special leave petition (SLP) on September 1 and refiled it on October 1 after fixing procedural defects.
On November 2, the government told the High Court that employees and pensioners are owed about Rs 22,818 crore in DA and DR for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2026. Counting all pending claims, it put the total liability at around Rs 32,418 crore.