Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a 2% increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners on May 15. According to the Chief Minister's Office statement, the DA has been raised from 58% to 60% with implementation effective from January 1, 2026. The increase will be paid along with the May salary, benefiting approximately 8.5 lakh state government employees and pensioners. Additionally, the temporary increase (TI) for pensioners has also been raised by 2% and will be reflected in the May pension.
Tamil Nadu government announced an increase in Dearness Allowance from 58% to 60% effective January 1, 2026, on May 14. As reported by the Chief Minister's office, the hike will benefit 16 lakh government employees, teachers, pensioners, and family pensioners. The state government will allocate the necessary additional funds for this purpose, with the measure entailing an annual expenditure of ₹1,230 crore. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the decision, making Tamil Nadu the second major state to implement DA revisions. Recently, CM Vijay has also demanded an immediate rollback of fuel price hikes, stating the increase will hurt poor families, middle class, and industries.
The Bihar cabinet approved significant DA increases for different pay commission categories. According to reports, employees and pensioners under the 6th Central Pay Commission will receive a 5 percentage points increase, raising DA from 257% to 262% effective January 1, 2026. For employees under the 5th Central Pay Commission, DA has been increased by 9 percentage points from 474% to 483%, while under the 7th Central Pay Commission, it has been raised from 58% to 60%. The Bihar cabinet will discuss further DA revisions in an upcoming meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari indicated that key decisions on DA and Seventh Pay Commission implementation will be discussed in the government's second cabinet meeting on May 18. As reported by the CM, the cabinet meeting will address several pressing concerns, including a decision on granting Dearness Allowance at central rates to state government employees and pensioners. The government is also likely to consider the formation of the Seventh Pay Commission, which could lead to a revision in salaries of state government employees. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has ordered the immediate removal of all nominated chairmen, directors, and members serving in state boards, corporations, non-statutory bodies, and PSUs, marking a major administrative reshuffle following recent political changes.
