New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- Central government employees and pensioners will have to wait longer for the much-anticipated dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) hike, with the Centre yet to announce the revision due from 1 July 2026.

The delay has prolonged uncertainty for nearly 1.2 crore employees and pensioners who were expecting a festive-season increase in their salaries and pensions. The anticipated 3-percentage-point hike could raise DA and DR from the existing 60% to 63%, although the government has not confirmed the revised rate.

The announcement was widely expected around Dussehra, with hopes of a decision on 21 October. However, no official announcement has been made, leaving employees awaiting clarity on when the increas...