DA hike delay: Central government employee body to hold protest over dearness allowance delay

The unprecedented delay in the announcement of dearness allowance (DA) in more than a decade has left numerous employees and pensioners disappointed. In response, one of the leading central government employees organisation has decided to stage a protest against the government for this delay.



In a letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary of India, the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers (CCGEW) states that its affiliated organisations will hold a lunch hour protest at all work places on April 16, 2026.


“This is to give notice that the employees who are members of the affiliated organisations of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers will hold a lunch hour's demonstration at all workplaces on April 16, 2026, and send a resolution,” reads the letter dated April 14, 2026.


“The single demand pursuant of which the employees will embark upon the above action programme is 'immediate declaration of the due installment of DA/DR, w.e.f., January 1, 2026, for employees and pensioners,” the letter further says.

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The confederation is holding a protest as the government is yet to announce the DA hike for January 2026. Because of it, dearness relief (DR) has also not been announced for pensioners.

Ever since the beginning of the 7^th Pay Commission on January 1, 2016, the government has never delayed the DA hike announcement so long. It was expected by many employees that the Centre would announce it ahead of or a few days after Holi which fell on March 4, 2026, but they are yet to receive it.

Which department will join the protest on April 16, 2026?

SB Yadav, president of the CCGEW, told ET Wealth Online that departments such as income tax, postal, agriculture, Botanical Survey of India, Geological Survey of India, Survey of India will join the protest on April 16.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh government hikes interim minimum wages by up to 21% from April 1, 2026 after Noida worker protests; check list for all districts


When did the government last announce the DA hike?

The government last announced the DA hike in October 2025, which was for July 2025. While central government employees and pensioners have got their arrears for that hike, their wait for the January 2026 DA hike is still not over.

How much DA hike is expected for January 2026?

DA is calculated on the basis of the 12-month average reading of the All India Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers (AICPA-IW). As per the average reading of January-December 2025, DA is expected to rise by 2%. However, the magnitude of the hike will be known only when the central government announces it. The current DA stands at 58%. A 2% hike will make it 60%, while a 3% will make it 61%.

DA hike official order dates (from 2016-now)


Source: Ministry of Finance

Can the government announce a DA hike this week?

Adhil Shetty, CEO, Bankbazaar.com, told ET Wealth Online that administrative coordination and final approvals often influence the exact timing of announcements, which seems to be the case in this cycle.

“The lag in the DA announcement this year appears to stem from a combination of process-related factors rather than any uncertainty around the revision itself. The formal DA notification depends on multiple stages of review and approval within the system. Variations in this sequencing can shift timelines without altering the outcome,” says Shetty.

Shetty also believes a key consideration this year is the need to ensure consistency with broader compensation planning, particularly as discussions around the 8th Pay Commission framework gathers pace.

How a 2% or 3% DA can impact salaries of central government employees?

We are taking the examples of basic salaries in the range of Rs 25,000- Rs 1,50,000. We will show the monthly salary increase after 2% and 3% hikes, respectively.

Monthly salary hike if DA rises by 2%


Monthly salary hike if DA rises by 3%