Good news for central government employees. This Holi in 2025 could be extra special for central government employees and pensioners. Rumor has it that some good news might drop just before the festival. Holi falls on March 14 this year, and there’s talk that the government might announce a hike in the dearness allowance (DA) for central employees right before the celebrations.
This DA increase is aimed at easing the burden of inflation, which could lead to a noticeable boost in both salaries and pensions. Just a heads up, under the 7th Pay Commission, the dearness allowance gets adjusted twice a year—once on January 1 and again on July 1.
So, the first adjustment for 2025 will kick in on January 1, and we might hear the official announcement in March. However, the government hasn’t confirmed anything yet.
Now, how much could the DA go up?
Employee groups are suggesting that the government might announce a 3 to 4 percent increase in dearness allowance for central employees and pensioners around Holi in March 2025. For instance, if an entry-level central government employee has a basic salary of about Rs 18,000 per month, their salary could rise by Rs 540-720 starting January 1, 2025.
To break it down, let’s say a government employee earns Rs 30,000 a month, with a basic salary of Rs 18,000. They currently receive Rs 9,000 as dearness allowance, which is 50 percent of their basic pay. If the DA goes up by 3 percent, they’d get Rs 9,540 instead of Rs 9,000, meaning an increase of Rs 540. If it’s a 4 percent hike, the DA would rise to Rs 9,720.
Pensioners are set to gain from this too.
The rise in DA isn’t just for government workers; it’s also a win for pensioners. This time around, over 1 crore central employees and pensioners will see the benefits. Just to clarify, while employees get Dearness Allowance (DA), pensioners receive something called Dearness Relief.