Gangtok: The Sikkim government has approved a proposal to increase the dearness allowance (DA) by four percent for its employees and pensioners, with retrospective effect from July 1, 2023.
Notably, officials stated that the decision was made during the first cabinet meeting of the second Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government on June 10 evening, presided over by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang. With this four percent hike, the dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners has risen to 46 percent. The increase in DA will have an impact of Rs 174.6 crore on the state exchequer in the current financial year.
In addition to the allowance hike, the cabinet meeting saw other crucial decisions, including the nomination of two-time SKM legislator Sanjeet Kharel as the pro-tem Speaker of the 11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
The development has been reported days after the SKM secured a second consecutive term in the Himalayan state, winning 19 out of 32 assembly seats. The assembly elections were held concurrently with the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.
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