Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has issued an order increasing the Dearness Allowance (DA) of state government employees and officers by five percentage points, raising it from 45 per cent to 50 per cent. The Finance (Regulation) Department issued an office memorandum on October 23, 2026, providing relief to eligible employees ahead of Diwali.
The increase will benefit employees covered under the Himachal Pradesh Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2022, along with officers of the All India Services and state government employees whose pay scales are governed by University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.
According to the order, the revised DA will be paid in cash along with the salary for October 2026, payable in November. The hike comprises a one-percentage-point increase effective from July 1, 2023, and a four-percentage-point increase effective from January 1, 2024.
The Finance Department stated that separate instructions would be issued regarding the payment of arrears accumulated from these dates up to September 30, 2026. The remaining terms and conditions specified in earlier office memoranda will continue to apply.
The order also clarifies that DA amounts involving a fraction of 50 paise or more will be rounded up to the next rupee, while fractions below 50 paise will be ignored. The concerned departments have been directed to take the necessary action to implement the decision.
Sukhu announces ₹10,000 payments for employees and pensioners
Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a five-percentage-point DA hike for government employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali. Addressing a press conference in Shimla, he said the increase included a four-percentage-point hike and the one-percentage-point DA pending from the previous year.
The Chief Minister said approximately 3.5 lakh government employees and pensioners would benefit from the announcement. He also announced an arrear payment of ₹10,000 for Class-IV employees and a payment of ₹10,000 for pensioners.
Sukhu had stated that the official notification regarding the DA increase would be issued on November 1. The Finance Department’s office memorandum dated October 23 has now formalised the increase for the employee categories covered under the order.
Himachal Pradesh’s total debt stands at ₹99,564 crore: Sukhu
During the press conference, the Chief Minister also addressed concerns over the state’s financial position and mounting debt.
Sukhu said the previous BJP government, led by former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, had incurred debt amounting to ₹43,261 crore during its five-year tenure. He added that his government had incurred debt of ₹37,781 crore up to October 22, 2026.
According to the figures presented by Sukhu, Himachal Pradesh’s total outstanding debt stands at ₹99,564 crore.
The Chief Minister also took exception to Thakur’s claim that the state’s debt had crossed ₹1 lakh crore, accusing the former Chief Minister of making a false statement. Sukhu presented his government’s figures to counter the opposition leader’s assertion, bringing the state’s fiscal position into focus alongside the announcement of financial relief for employees and pensioners.
