Guwahati, June 5 -- The Assam cabinet on Friday approved a two-percentage-point increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees, raising it from 58% to 60% of basic pay, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting following its expansion with the inclusion of 12 new ministers, 11 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), earlier in the day.

"Today we decided to increase the DA of government employees by two-percentage-point. Till now, they were getting 58% DA; after the hike, it will reach 60%," Sarma said after the meeting.

He added that the cabinet also approved a total land area of 20 square kilometres for the second capital co...