THE dearness allowance (DA) of Maharashtra government's employees and other eligible staff will be hiked by three per cent to 58 per cent, with effect from July 2025, Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal announced in the legislature on Wednesday. The revised DA will be paid in cash from this month. Arrears for the period from July 2025 to October 2025 will be disbursed in March 2026 on the occasion of Gudhi Padwa, while orders regarding arrears for the period from November 2025 to January 2026 will be issued separately. The decision will benefit around 5.16 lakh state Government employees and about 8.72 lakh pensioners across Maharashtra, he stated in the legislative assembly. Jaiswal stated in the council that the State Government is sensitive towards its employees and the DA raise decision will strengthen them financially. Mah Govt forms task force to study digital addiction among children IN RESPONSE to the rising concerns over digital addiction among children and its adverse effects, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday announced the appointment of an expert Task Force comprising educationists, psychiatrists, child counsellors, technology experts, management consultants, doctors, legal experts, and senior Government officials. State Information Technology Minister Ashish Shelar informed the Legislative Council that a comprehensive report on the matter will be submitted before the commencement of the next Assembly session.

 

The announcement came during a “Calling Attention” motion raised by MLCs Niranjan Davkhare and Sanjay Kenekar, who highlighted the growing risks of social media addiction among youth and minors. Other legislators, including Pravin Darekar, Chitra Wagh, Bhai Jagtap, and Uma Khapre, participated in the discussion, questioning whether the Government plans to set age limits for gaming apps and social media, and if restrictions will be placed on digital advertisements targeting minors. Minister Shelar stated that written directives were issued on February 2, 2026, to Virendra Singh, Principal Secretary of the IT Department, to form this task force. “There are approximately 4 crore children under the age of 18 in the state, with nearly 3 crore below the age of 15. Their mental and physical health is a matter of serious public importance,” he remarked. He further added that a committee comprising members from both houses of the legislature would be formed to deliberate on the issue. The Task Force is mandated to conduct an all-encompassing study on several factors including child protection and digital safety, impact on mental health, education, and overall development, balanced and responsible use of digital platforms, cultural, family, and gender-specific differences in usage, disparity between rural and urban scenarios and across all income groups, economic impacts and productivity and review of existing national and international frameworks for digital safety, said the minister.

 

Citing a study by the organisation Responsible Netism, Minister Shelar pointed out that India ranks first globally in mobile game downloads. With the global gaming market valued at over $200 billion, Maharashtra’s domestic industry is expected to reach $8.6 billion by 2027. The study reveals that ‘Gaming Disorder’ is rising sharply across both urban and rural Maharashtra. Data from five centers in the State shows that 3 out of every 10 clinical cases involve gaming addiction. Furthermore, an ‘Internet Dependency Scale’ survey in schools found that 40% of children suffer from moderate to severe gaming addiction. Pending salary hike dues given to 86,000 MSRTC employees: Minister THE pending salary hike dues have been credited to the bank accounts of nearly 86,000 employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Wednesday. When the corporation faced difficulty in clearing the arrears due to paucity of funds, the Government immediately made a provision of Rs 100 crore, a statement issued by Sarnaik’s spokesperson said quoting him. “This is not just financial assistance but a reflection of the Government’s sensitivity and commitment towards employees,” Sarnaik said. The dues for February were deposited in the bank accounts of employees on Tuesday, the statement said.

 

In October 2025, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, with the consent of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and then Deputy CM Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, announced a monthly grant of around Rs 65 crore during a meeting with trade unions. The process of clearing arrears began in December. However, due to technical issues and lack of funds, the February instalment could not be disbursed on time, leading to discontent among employees, the statement said. Sarnaik said he had held discussions with Fadnavis and his deputies and demanded Rs 210 crore. “Out of this, Rs 100 crore has been immediately released, and the remaining amount will also be made available soon,” he said.