A four per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) has been announced by the Tamil Nadu government for its employees, teachers and pensioners. The disbursement of the same will mean an additional cost of over Rs 2,546 crore for the state government, which is already reeling under a funds crisis.
The hike will be effective 1 July, 2023.
The increment will benefit the teachers as well as non-teaching employees of aided educational institutions, staff of local bodies as well as those under the University Grants Commission/All India Council for Technical Education. The hike is also applicable to teachers, physical education directors and librarians working in government and aided polytechnics and special diploma institutions.
Village assistants of the Revenue Department, noon-meal workers, child-welfare workers, staff of Anganwadis, cooks, helpers, clerks of village panchayats and so on.
On 5 October, 2023, Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh had declared an increase in salaries for 10,359 part-time teachers in Tamil Nadu, raising their pay from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,500. Additionally, the government had also introduced a medical insurance scheme offering coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh.
At the time, a three-member committee had been called for, to assess the demands of secondary teachers who are currently agitating. The committee was instructed to make recommendations to the government within three months, and submit a report. However, the protesting teachers had declared their intention to continue their protest.
