Jammu, May 18: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced a fresh increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners, raising the rate from 58 percent to 60 percent with retrospective effect from January 1, 2026. The move is expected to provide financial relief to thousands of employees, pensioners and family pensioners across the Union Territory.
The Finance Department issued separate orders for serving employees and pensioners covered under the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. According to the notification, the revised DA for employees will be calculated on the basis of Basic Pay, while pensioners and family pensioners will receive the enhanced benefit on their Basic Pension and Family Pension.
Officials said the arrears for the period from January to April 2026 will be handled differently depending on the category of beneficiaries. Employees covered under the General Provident Fund (GPF) scheme will have the arrears credited directly to their GPF accounts. Meanwhile, employees registered under the National Pension System (NPS), along with pensioners and family pensioners, will receive the pending amount in cash.
The revised allowance will become part of the monthly salary and pension payments from May 2026 onward, resulting in higher take-home benefits for government staff and retired employees.
The Government also clarified that for NPS subscribers, the employer’s share on DA arrears will be deposited as per existing rules. In addition, any fraction arising during the calculation of Dearness Allowance will be rounded off to the next higher rupee.
The latest revision is being viewed as a significant step aimed at easing the financial burden caused by rising living expenses and inflation, while also boosting the morale of employees and pensioners in Jammu and Kashmir.