New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- Central government employees and pensioners are awaiting the announcement of the dearness allowance (DA) hike for July 2026. The central government did not announce the increase in its cabinet meeting on 14 October.

Though the cabinet announced a performance-linked bonus (PLB), or annual bonus, for all Railway employees, it did not announce any decision on the much-awaited DA hike.

This has left employees hoping for a decision on the dearness allowance at the next cabinet meeting, which is likely scheduled for 21 October, a day after Dussehra. Still, it is important to note that the government has not officially confirmed the announcement date.

For example, the last DA hike was announced on a Saturday (18 April). ...