Srinagar, May 18 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government has increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) for regular employees, pensioners and family pensioners from 58 per cent to 60 per cent, according to official orders.
The revised DA will come into effect retrospectively from January 1, 2026, following a decision of the Council of Ministers taken on April 30, 2026, the orders issued by the Finance Department said.
With the latest hike, employees and pensioners will receive the enhanced DA as part of their salary and pension from May 2026 onwards.
The government has also laid down separate mechanisms for payment of arrears for the period from January to April 2026.
As per the orders, arrears for employees covered under the General Provident Fund (GPF) scheme will be credited to their GPF accounts in monthly instalments.
Employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) will receive the arrears in cash. The orders stated that the employer’s 14 per cent share on DA arrears will be drawn, while the employee’s 10 per cent contribution will be deducted at source and credited to their respective PRAN accounts.
For pensioners and family pensioners drawing benefits under the 7th Pay Commission, arrears from January to April 2026 will be paid in cash in May 2026.
The Finance Department clarified that “Basic Pay” for DA calculation refers only to the pay drawn in the prescribed Pay Matrix level under the 7th Pay Commission and excludes special pay and other allowances.
The orders have been circulated to all administrative departments and concerned authorities for immediate implementation.(NVI)
