Sikkim Government approves 4% dearness allowance hike for employees, pensioners

The Sikkim government has approved a proposal to increase the dearness allowance (DA) by four percent for its employees and pensioners, with retrospective effect from July 1, 2023, officials announced on June 11, as per PTI.

The decision was made during the first cabinet meeting of the second Sikkim Krantikari Morcha government on June 10 evening, presided over by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.

With this four percent hike, the dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners has risen to 46 percent, officials said.

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The increase in DA will have an impact of ₹174.6 crore on the state exchequer in the current financial year, they added.

In addition to the allowance hike, the cabinet meeting saw other crucial decisions, including the nomination of two-time SKM legislator Sanjeet Kharel as the Pro-tem Speaker of the 11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly. The 47-year-old MLA's nomination was part of the strategic moves by the newly re-elected SKM government.

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Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya is expected to administer the oath of office and secrecy to Kharel, setting the stage for the first session of the 11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly. During this session, Kharel will administer the oath to the newly-elected members, and the election of the assembly speaker will also take place.

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Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who took oath for his second consecutive term on Monday, along with eleven other ministers, has led the SKM to a commanding victory, securing 31 of the 32 assembly seats in the recent polls held concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections.

These developments mark a significant period of governance and administrative decisions in Sikkim, aimed at addressing both economic and leadership aspects in the state.

(With Inputs from PTI)