As Karnataka awaits implementation of five guarantee schemes, the new Congress government has given good news for the government employees by increasing their Dearness Allowances (DA).Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared on Tuesday, May 30, that the DA of employees of the state government has been increased from 31% to 35%.The state government has released an order in this regard and it will come into effect from January 1, 2023.”Government is pleased to enhance the rates of Dearness Allowance payable to the state government employees in the 2018 Revised Pay Scales from the existing 30% to 35% of Basic Pay with effect from Jan 1, 2023,” the order stated.The government also enhanced the rates of DA from the existing 31%  to 35% of the Basic Pension/Family Pension with effect from January 1, 2023 to the state government pensioners of aided educational Institutions, the order stated.This hike in DA is applicable to full-time government employees, employees of Zilla Panchayats, full-time employees of educational institutions and universities aided by the government.According to the order, the payment of arrears of DA shall not be made before the date of disbursement of salary for the month of May 2023.In March this year, government employees in the state protested for a revision in their salaries, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission and for the Old Pension Scheme to be brought back.Then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that a committee will be formed to submit a report on their demands.But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the Assembly election and Congress has fulfilled the employees’ demands.