Mumbai, March 13: The wait to receive a dearness allowance hike for Central government employees under the 7th pay commission is getting extended day by day. For a long time now, government employees have been demanding to raise DA. While a decision regarding the first DA hike of 2023 was expected to be announced before Holi, it seems the wait will get longer.

A report in India.com has now said that Narendra Modi-led government could raise the DA hike and revise the fitment factor by March 20, however, there has been no official announcement as yet. Central government employees under the 7th pay commission received their last DA hike in September 2022 when the government raised DA by 4 percent. 7th Pay Commission to Be Soon Replaced by 8th Pay Commission? Check Latest News Update Here.

The 4 percent DA hike in September took the dearness allowance raise to 38 percent from 34 percent. Since then, government employees have been demanding a rise in DA. Speaking about the DA hike, an official of the finance ministry said that government employees could receive a 4 percent hike in Dearness Allowance.

The official also said that Dearness Relief could also see a 4 percent hike for retired employees. Reportedly, the DA and DR hike if approved will be effective from January 1, 2023. A 4 percent DA hike could also boost the salary of government employees. At present central government employees and pensioners under the 7th CPC are receiving are getting 38 percent dearness allowance. 7th Pay Commission Latest News Today: When Will Centre Release 18-Months DA Arrears?.

Meanwhile, reports also suggest that the government is preparing to introduce a new pay commission. If reports are to be believed, the 7th pay commission will be replaced with the 8th pay commission. The Centre could introduce the new pay commission in 2024 before Lok Sabha Elections and implement it in 2026.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 13, 2023 02:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).