In a pre-Diwali announcement, the Chhattisgarh government approved a two per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for state employees, taking it from 53 to 55 per cent. Framed as a relief measure against rising living costs, the increment is expected to benefit thousands of government staff and officials.
However, instead of goodwill, the move has drawn sharp criticism. The Chhattisgarh Employees-Officers Federation, which represents a large section of the state workforce, dismissed the hike as tokenistic, arguing it does little to ease the strain of inflation or address long-pending salary concerns. Union leaders contend that what the state promotes as festive generosity amounts to little more than a symbolic gesture, falling short of the financial relief employees urgently need.
The Federation has now called for a statewide strike beginning 22 August, reviving demands for arrears settlement, pay parity with Central government employees, and improved allowances. Multiple rounds of discussions with the administration have so far failed to bridge the gap, with union representatives describing the agitation as “inevitable” in the face of government inaction.
Policy watchers say the standoff underscores a wider problem in public- sector wage frameworks, where marginal DA hikes are increasingly seen as inadequate to offset household inflation or to narrow the widening gap with Central pay structures. A prolonged strike could disrupt government functioning across departments, adding pressure on the state to revisit its compensation strategy.
