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Employees’ body Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers has called for a demonstration on April 16 to push the government to announce the DA hike soon.
DA Hike January 2026.
DA Hike January 2026: The delay in announcing the January 2026 instalment of dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) has triggered concerns among central government employees and pensioners, with staff unions urging the Centre to expedite the decision.
Employees’ body Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers has called for a demonstration on April 16 to push the government to announce the DA hike soon.
Nationwide Demonstration on April 16
Amid mounting concerns, the Confederation has called for an All India demonstration on April 16, with employees across the country expected to participate.
The protest is aimed at pressing the government to immediately declare the pending DA/DR instalments and address employee concerns over the delay.
“We are serving notice for an All India Demonstration at pan India on 16th for immediate declaration of Due installments of DA/ DR w.e.f. January 1, 2026,” S B Yadav, secretary general of the confederation, told news18.com.
Employee bodies, including the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers and the All India NPS Employees Federation, have also written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking immediate intervention and release of the pending dues effective January 1, 2026.
Delay Breaks Usual Timeline
In a letter dated April 8, Yadav pointed out that DA/DR revisions are typically announced in the last week of March, with arrears for the first three months disbursed in early April.
“The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers would like to draw your kind attention towards the non-declaration of due instalments of DA/DR… normally it used to be declared in the last week of March and arrears of the three months paid in the first week of April every year,” Yadav wrote.
He added that the delay has led to growing “discontent and apprehensions” among employees and pensioners, urging the finance minister to ensure early issuance of orders.
Concerns Over Possible Freeze
In a separate letter dated April 9, NPS Employees Federation President Manjeet Singh Patel flagged “deep disappointment and frustration” among employees due to the delay.
Patel warned that concerns are emerging over a possible freeze in DA, similar to the move during the COVID-19 period, which had impacted employee morale.
“Due to this delay, apprehensions are also arising among employees that, similar to the COVID period, the Dearness Allowance might again be frozen this time,” he wrote.
Why DA Matters
Dearness allowance and dearness relief are revised twice a year to help employees and pensioners offset inflation. Any delay in announcement affects cash flows and real income, especially for those dependent on fixed salaries and pensions.
The government has so far not issued an official statement on the DA/DR hike for January 2026.
April 15, 2026, 5:31 PM IST
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