Odisha Tamil Nadu and Bihar hike dearness allowance 2-9% retroactive

India May 17, 2026

Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar have just bumped up dearness allowance (DA) for their state employees and pensioners to help with rising prices.
The hikes range from 2% to 9%, kicking in retroactively from January 1, 2026.
West Bengal might follow suit at its cabinet meeting on May 18.

Odisha Tamil Nadu DA now 60%

Odisha's DA goes up by 2%, now at 60%, helping about 850,000 employees and pensioners starting with their May paychecks.
Tamil Nadu matched the hike, also moving from 58% to 60%, covering nearly 1.6 million people and costing the state around ₹12.3 billion a year.
Bihar took a more tailored approach: DA increases vary by pay commission, with hikes of up to 9% points.