Mumbai: Ahead of Gudi Padwa and Holi, Maharashtra has announced a 3% increase in the dearness allowance (DA) of state employees and other eligible workers. The dearness allowance will be paid from July 2025. Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Finance, Ashish Jaiswal, announced this. Gudi Padwa falls on March 19th and is celebrated with great fanfare in Maharashtra. Holi will be celebrated nationwide on March 4th. March also marks the festival of Eid.
When will payments be made?
On Wednesday, Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal announced that payments will be made in cash starting in February. Arrears for the period from July 2025 to October 2025 will be disbursed on Gudi Padwa in March 2026, while orders for arrears for the period from November 2025 to January 2026 will be issued separately. This decision by the state government will benefit 5.16 lakh employees and 8.72 lakh pensioners.
What was the increase last year?
Last year, in February, the Maharashtra government increased the dearness allowance of state employees. At that time, Eknath Shinde was in charge of the state. The dearness allowance was increased by 12%.
What is the expected average salary increase?
Employees across various sectors in the country are expected to receive an average salary increase of 9.1% this year, slightly higher than last year’s 8.9% increase. This estimate was made in a survey report on Tuesday. Citing its “Annual Salary Growth and Business Survey 2025-26,” global professional services company AON said that the projected salary increase of 9.1% this year is slightly higher than the actual increase of 8.9% recorded in 2025. The 32nd edition of AON’s survey is based on an analysis of data from more than 1,400 organizations operating in 45 industry sectors across the country.
