Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government here on Tuesday announced a 7 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for its employees, pensioners and those working with the local bodies and panchayats. While talking to media persons here, Public Relations Minister Narottam Mishra said, State cabinet has given the nod to the proposal hiking the DA by 7 per cent to its employees, taking it up to 132 per cent. The proposed DA would be meant for government employees, pensioners, panchayats, local bodies, rural development department employees and teaching staff employed with the local bodies. It would come into effect from July, 2016 and the payments would begin with the salaries of December, 2016, he added.

Mishra informed that the state government has also given its nod for the appointment of 497 candidates for the posts of forest guard, who passed the Forest Guard Exam held in year 2008. These appointments are to be made against the vacant posts, he added.