Agartala, October 31: In a substantial festive boost for government employees and pensioners, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha a day after announced a five percent increase in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR), claimed a commitment to supporting state employees despite Tripura’s significant financial strain.
On Thursday during the CM’s visit to a Kali temple in Agartala on the occasion of Kali Puja and Diwali, Saha said that his government doesnot want and have no intention to deprive the government employees and so desperate the state recently getting affected due to one of the worst floods that led to an estimated loss of Rs 15,000 crores had decided this festive gift.
The Chief Minister explained that while the central government and many states implemented a three percent DA increase, but Tripura’s government has chosen to extend a five percent hike.
“Our government does not intend to deprive its employees,” Saha said, adding that despite the estimated loss of Rs 15,000 crore caused by recent catastrophic floods, the state prioritized this festive gesture for its workforce.
The new DA increment pushes Tripura’s overall DA for government employees to 30 percent and is expected to benefit thousands of employees and pensioners.
Effective from November 1, the DA hike will cost the state an additional Rs 500 crore annually—a considerable financial commitment amid ongoing recovery efforts from one of Tripura’s worst flood crises in recent history.
Saha, speaking after his temple visit, emphasized the government’s dedication to fostering communal harmony and shared well-being.
“I prayed to goddess Kali for the peace, happiness, and prosperity of all communities in Tripura, including both tribal and non-tribal populations,” he conveyed in his address.
This DA hike, a rare move given the financial toll of the recent floods, is viewed as a signal of the government’s resolve to balance employee welfare with the state’s recovery efforts.