The state government has sanctioned one instalment of dearness allowance (DA) for the government staff and teachers and an instalment of dearness relief (DR) for service pensioners, said Finance Minister K N Balagopal in a release issued here on Wednesday. The benefits of increased DA/DR will be available in UGC, AICTE, Medical service and all sectors. The annual expenditure of the state government will increase by Rs 2000 crores. The DA/DR sanctioned by the government will be disbursed along with the salary and pension for the next month. 

Earlier, one instalment of DA and DR was allotted in April. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the assembly that two instalments of DA/DR would be sanctioned for the government staff and pensioners from this year onwards. K N Balagopal said that despite financial stress during the Covid period, the government implemented better salary reforms. Benefits like DA were given as money in the beginning of 2021-22 fiscal. The Minister blamed the delay in distributing benefits to the staff on adverse regulatory measures imposed by the centre. He said that the government is duty bound to disburse the benefits of the staff and pensioners. 

In the budget speech 2024-25, it was announced that one installment of DA/DR along with the salary/pension for the month of April 2024 would be sanctioned. The Government issued an order in March 2024 enhancing the rates of DA payable to state government employees, teachers, staff of aided schools, private colleges and polytechnics, full-time contingent employees, and employees of local governments and DR payable to state service pensioners, family pensioners, ex-gratia pensioners/ex-gratia family pensioners from 7 percent to 9 percent.