With the Central Government granting a 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) to its employees, Madhya Pradesh state employees have stepped up demands for similar benefits ahead of Diwali. Employees are requesting 3 percent DA and DR increase along with festival bonus from Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav so that their families can celebrate the festival with ease. Employees seek early relief before Diwali Employee organizations have urged the government to release DA-DR hike and bonus before Diwali, urging that household expenses rise during the festive season. Workers have also requested an increase in festival advance amounts. Officials indicate that the state government may soon announce an increase in Dearness Allowance for its employees. Impact on over 10 lakh employees and pensioners Umashankar Tiwari, General Secretary of the Third Class Employees Union, stated that providing 3 percent DA-DR along with bonus would offer much-needed financial relief to over 10 lakh employees and pensioners in the state. Similarly, Jitendra Singh, President of the State Employees Association, demanded that the DA installment be released before Diwali to ensure employees can celebrate comfortably. Current DA status in Madhya Pradesh Currently, state employees receive 55 percent DA, while Central Government employees now receive 58 percent DA after the recent 3 percent hike. Madhya Pradesh employees have been waiting for their DA increment due from July 2025. Long-pending demand for bonus Employee organizations highlighted that state-level Diwali bonuses have not been provided since 1996, when employees used to receive up to Rs 1,079. Meanwhile, central and railway employees continue to receive festival bonuses annually. Organizations stress that withholding bonuses reflects a gap between promises and actions, and hope that the Chief Minister will approve Diwali relief, doubling the festive joy for employees. Post navigation Madrasa construction on govt land demolished in Jabalpur:Woman was carrying out the work; funding allegedly linked to transgender person ‘Had it happened at night, 100–200 bodies would be found’:Eyewitness recounts scale of Bhopal bypass road cave-in; pit large enough to swallow several cars
