Chandigarh: The Punjab government has announced significant benefits for thousands of employees ahead of Diwali. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has approved a 40-percentage-point increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for 6,507 computer teachers working under the Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES).
With this decision, the DA rate for computer teachers will increase from 181% to 221%. The state government has also approved the regularisation of 1,007 non-teaching employees working under the Samagra Shiksha programme.
The announcements are being seen as an important step towards improving employees’ financial benefits, job stability and long-term security.
Punjab Government Announces 40% DA Hike for Computer Teachers
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the DA revision as a special employee welfare measure on the occasion of Diwali.
Under the revised arrangement, 6,507 computer teachers working under PICTES will receive DA at 221% instead of the existing 181%. This represents an increase of 40 percentage points in the allowance rate.
The announcement provides additional financial support to computer teachers working under the state’s education system.
The Chief Minister said the government had approved the increase to improve employee welfare and provide greater financial support to its workforce.
1,007 Samagra Shiksha Employees to Get Regular Jobs
Along with the DA increase, the Punjab government has approved the regularisation of 1,007 non-teaching employees associated with Samagra Shiksha.
The decision is expected to provide these workers with greater employment stability and improved job security.
The government has also extended important salary-related benefits to the employees covered under the decision. According to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, these measures reflect the state’s commitment to employee welfare and financial security.
Gujarat Government Announces 3% DA Hike for Employees and Pensioners
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has also announced a Dearness Allowance increase ahead of Diwali, providing relief to more than 9.69 lakh serving employees and pensioners.
The state has approved a 3-percentage-point increase in DA for approximately 4.62 lakh government employees and 5.07 lakh pensioners.
The decision was taken during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Senior cabinet member and government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani confirmed that the revised DA would be effective retrospectively from July 1, 2026.
The announcement follows the Union Cabinet’s decision to increase DA by 3 percentage points for central government employees and pensioners.
The Gujarat DA revision will benefit employees working in state government departments, panchayat services and other government organisations. Retired employees covered under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions will also receive the revised Dearness Relief benefits.
Diwali DA Hike: Relief for Government Employees and Pensioners
The latest announcements from Punjab and Gujarat have brought additional financial benefits to thousands of government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali.
While Punjab has increased DA for computer teachers from 181% to 221% and regularised 1,007 Samagra Shiksha employees, Gujarat has approved a 3-percentage-point DA increase for its employees and pensioners.
These decisions are aimed at improving financial support, strengthening employment security and extending the benefits of government welfare measures to eligible workers.