Raipur: With the Lok Sabha polls fast approaching, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, on Friday, made several announcements, including the decision to hike the dearness allowance (DA) for the state government employees by four per cent. "We have decided to increase the DA by four per cent under the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees and also to hike the Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners by four per cent," he said. The hike will benefit 3.9 lakh state government employees and 1.2 lakh pensioners, with the changes going into effect from March 1 this year. 

With this increase, state officials announced, the DA under the Seventh Pay Commission will reach 46 per cent and 230 per cent under the Sixth Pay Commission. The hike will set back the state exchequer approximately Rs 816 crore per annum. 

The officers and employees of the state will also be given the last instalment of arrears under the Seventh Pay Commission, CM Sai said.

The hike aside, the CM also announced the formation of a committee to address the demands and grievances of contractual and other employees. This committee will be headed by Principal Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Niharika Barik.

"The five-member committee will review the demands and issues of the employees, and after holding discussions with the representatives of various employees unions, will submit its suggestions to the government," he said.

The representatives of employees' unions will also be accommodated in the committee, he said.

Another committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the state's Home Secretary to review the cases lodged against journalists (during the previous Congress government), Sai said.

"There were complaints that false cases were lodged against journalists and people linked to the media fraternity. The committee will review these cases and ensure justice to them. Journalists will also be appointed to this committee," he added.

With inputs from PTI.