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Tripura Announces 5% DA Hike for Employees, Pensioners from April 2026

The Tripura government has announced a 5% increase in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for state employees and pensioners, effective from April 1, 2026. Chief Minister Manik Saha stated the move will cost the state an additional Rs 500 crore annually, benefiting over 1.83 lakh individuals. Opposition leaders criticized the announcement for not being part of the formal budget speech, alleging a violation of legislative norms. The announcement was made during the ongoing budget session, which saw heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches.

Key Points: Tripura Govt Announces 5% DA, DR Hike for Employees & Pensioners

  • 5% DA/DR hike announced
  • Effective from April 1, 2026
  • Extra Rs 500 crore annual expenditure
  • Benefits over 1.83 lakh people
  • Opposition criticizes procedural violation
2 min read

Tripura govt announces 5 pc additional DA, DR for employees and pensioners

Tripura CM announces 5% DA/DR hike effective April 2026, costing Rs 500 crore annually. Opposition criticizes budget exclusion.

"To implement the additional DA and DR, the state government will incur an extra expenditure of about Rs 500 crore annually. - Chief Minister Manik Saha"

Agartala, March 16

The Tripura government on Monday announced a 5 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for 1,83,582 government employees and pensioners in the state.

Making the announcement on the second day of the ongoing Budget session of the Tripura Assembly, Chief Minister Manik Saha informed the House that the revised DA and DR would come into effect from April 1, 2026.

The announcement drew desk-thumping from members of the treasury bench.

The Chief Minister made the announcement soon after Finance, Planning and Coordination Minister Pranajit Singha Roy presented the 2026-27 Budget in the Assembly.

"To implement the additional DA and DR, the state government will incur an extra expenditure of about Rs 500 crore annually," Saha told the House.

Opposition members, including former minister Sudip Roy Barman of the Congress and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury of the CPI-M, said the DA and DR hike should have been included in the Finance Minister's budget proposals.

"The Chief Minister has violated established norms and convention," Roy Barman alleged, amid heated exchanges between treasury and opposition benches.

Jitendra Chaudhury, also a former minister and CPI-M Tripura state secretary, asked the Chief Minister to clarify the status of the pending DA and DR dues of state government employees and pensioners.

While Saha attempted to respond to the queries raised by the Leader of the Opposition, disruptions over other issues prevented him from completing his reply, prompting Acting Speaker Ram Prasad Paul to adjourn the House.

A Finance Department official said the decision would benefit more than 1,02,563 government employees and 81,019 pensioners.

The official noted that after coming to power in March 2018, the BJP-led government revised pay scales with effect from October 1, 2018, based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Since then, the state government has announced additional DA and DR hikes on several occasions for employees and pensioners.

State government employees and pensioners have long demanded parity in DA and DR with their counterparts in the Central government.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the Budget session of the Assembly will continue until March 25.

The ongoing session is the first sitting of the Tripura Assembly this year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good news for the employees and pensioners, but the opposition has a valid point. Why wasn't this announced as part of the budget speech itself? It creates an impression of ad-hoc decision making. The process should be more transparent and follow convention.
R
Rohit P
The real issue is the pending dues! The CM should have clarified that first. Announcing a future hike is good, but what about the arrears that employees have been waiting for? That's the money they need right now. Hope the government addresses this soon.
A
Ananya R
My father is a retired state government employee in another state. The struggle for DA/DR parity with central employees is real across India. This 5% is a step, but the gap remains wide. Full parity should be the ultimate goal for financial dignity. 👍
M
Michael C
Interesting to see the political dynamics. Desk-thumping from the treasury bench, heated exchanges, and then an adjournment. While the hike is positive, the spectacle in the assembly shows how politics often overshadows policy announcements in India.
K
Karthik V
Effective from April 2026? That's quite far away. Inflation is biting now. While I understand fiscal planning, announcing a hike with such a long implementation date feels more like an election promise than immediate relief. Hope the date is advanced.

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