Kerala govt. enhances DA, DR to 35%

The Finance department on Friday issued orders enhancing the rate of dearness allowance (DA) of State government employees and teachers and dearness relief (DR) of pensioners from the existing 25% to 35%. The February 20 order issued by the department is applicable to State government employees, teachers, full-time contingent employees and employees of local governments and the DR is payable to State service pensioners, family pensioners, ex gratia pensioners and ex gratia family pensioners.

In the case of local governments, the additional expenditure has to be met by them from their own funds. The DA at the enhanced rate will be disbursed along with the salary for March, that is, the salary disbursed in April. The enhanced DR will be disbursed with the pension due for April.

Presenting the State Budget, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal had stated that the remaining DA/DR instalments would be paid in full. One instalment of DA would be disbursed with the salary for the month of February and the remaining instalments “completely with the salary for the month of March.”

In February, the State government had issued orders hiking the DA and DA by 3% from 22% to 25%. The DA at the enhanced rate was disbursed with the salary for the month of February 2026.