DA hike, Oct. 23 -- After the Union Cabinet meetings on 14 and 21 October did not result in the much-awaited dearness allowance hike announcement, central government employees and pensioners are now awaiting the next meeting on 28 October for some relief from the Centre, according to reports.

Notably, the Centre on 16 October announced a non-performance-linked bonus for central government employees, with no word on DA or dearness relief (DR). DA and DR are a percentage of employees' and pensioners' basic pay that aims to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of living and inflation.

Many employees and pensioners were expecting the Cabinet or Finance Ministry to announce the July 2026 DA hike ahead of Dussehra festivities, earlier this ...