Gujarat govt announces DA hike for employees, pensioners; 9.5 Lakh to benefit

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 7 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved an increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for the state government employees receiving benefits under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions, in line with the Central Government's standards, effective from July 1, according to an official statement from the Gujarat CMO.
Under this welfare-orientated decision for the employees by the Chief Minister, the Dearness Allowance for employees receiving benefits under the Seventh Pay Commission has been increased by 3 per cent. The Dearness Allowance for state government employees who are receiving benefits under the Sixth Pay Commission has been increased by 5 per cent, according to a release issued by the State government.
The arrear amount for three months of this Dearness Allowance increase, from July 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025, will be paid in one instalment. The benefit of this increase in Dearness Allowance will be admissible to a total of 4.69 lakh Karmayogis, including those of the state government, Panchayat services, and others, as well as approximately 4.82 lakh retired employees, i.e., pensioners.
Also, the state government will pay a total of ₹483.24 crore to employees as arrears, and an additional annual expenditure of ₹1,932.92 crore will be incurred towards salaries, allowances, and pensions.
The Chief Minister has also given instructions to the Finance Department to issue the necessary orders for the implementation of this employee-welfare decision.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has launched the innovative initiative 'Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conferences' (VGRC), inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and following the success of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS).
Industries Minister Balvantsinh Rajput announced that the first edition of VGRC will be inaugurated in Mehsana on October 9, 2025, according to an official statement from the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
The Industries Minister provided details today at a press conference in Gandhinagar regarding the organisation of the VGRC. Present at the press conference were Principal Secretary of the Industries and Mines Department, Ms Mamta Verma; MD of iNDEXTb, K.C. Sampat; and Director of Information, KL Bachani.
In the presence of the Industry Minister, Industries Commissioner P Swaroop said the VGRC will showcase each region's industrial potential and investment readiness, further strengthening Gujarat's global image through the "Vocal for Local" approach. (ANI)