Agartala, Dec 27 (IANS): Weeks before the announcement of the Assembly elections, the BJP government in Tripura on Tuesday declared an additional 12 per cent dearness allowance (DA) for its 1,85,400 employees and pension holders.

"Despite the state government's financial crunch, the government has released an additional 12 per cent of DA and Dearness Relief for the employees and pensioners," Chief Minister Manik Saha told the media.

After Tuesday's announcement, total release of both the allowance with effect from December 1 stands at 20 per cent, he said, adding that after coming into the power the BJP government has revised the pay scales with effect from October 1, 2018 based on the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations.

Thereafter, the state government has released upto 8 per cent DA and DR to its employees and pensioners with effect from July 1, 2022, he added.

Saha, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, said that the state government has also hiked the 50 per cent wages and remuneration from the existing rate for the 8,600 daily rated, monthly rated, parttime and contingent workers.

"Both these decisions of the government would put an additional amount of around Rs 120 crore per month and Rs 1440 crore per annum," he said.

Employees of the public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies will also get the new instalment of allowances.

State government employees and pensioners had long been demanding from the state government that their DA and DR be equal to that of Central government employees and pensioners.

Elections to the 60-member Tripura Assembly are likely to be held in February 2023 and the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule in the first week of January.