DA hiked by 6 %

The Government hiked dearness allowance (DA) by 6 per cent, benefiting over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners. The hike, which will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 14,724.74 crore annually, will take effect from January 1, 2016, 

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the meeting of the Union Cabinet which took the decision. 

The DA, which will benefit, 50 lakh central government employees and 58 lakh pensioners, will go up from the existing 119 per cent to 125 per cent.