Lucknow, Dec 16 (TIWN) Ahead of 2022 state Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has announced a 3 per cent point increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees, from the existing 28 per cent to 31 per cent.

The CM asked the finance department to chalk out a plan to provide the financial benefit to around 16 lakh state government employees and 12 lakh pensioners. The state government had withheld DA revision in 2020 due to financial constraints arising out of Covid-19 curbs. The Yogi government had said there won't be any DA hike from April 2020 to July 1, 2021. The new DA rates will now be applicable from July 1, 2021.  "The state government has increased the dearness allowance of govt employees to 28% (as per the Centre's mandate) with the effect from July 2021. The government will enhance honorarium to Anganwadi Workers/Anganwadi Helpers (AWWs/AWHs)," Adityanath said, news agency ANI reported.  The current DA hike order is going to benefit state government employees, pensioners, aided educational institutes and technical education institute staff, and urban local bodies employees.