West Bengal DA Hike: State government employees and pensioners in West Bengal are set to receive their revised salary and enhanced Dearness Allowance (DA) earlier than usual ahead of Durga Puja. The state government has confirmed that the 20 percent additional DA will be disbursed along with the October salary before the festive holidays begin.
The recent decision increases the total DA rate under the 6th Pay Commission structure from 18 percent to 38 percent of basic pay. Clearing doubts regarding the payout timeline, official sources confirmed during an event at Bhavani Bhawan that employees will not have to wait until November to receive the revised benefits.
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Calculation: How Much Will Your Salary Increase?
The revision directly impacts monthly take-home pay based on the employee’s existing Basic Pay under ROPA rules.
- Basic Pay of ₹30,000: At the previous 18% rate, the DA amount was ₹5,400. With the revised 38% DA, the allowance increases to ₹11,400, resulting in a net monthly raise of ₹6,000.
- Basic Pay of ₹50,000: At the earlier 18% rate, the DA was ₹9,000. Under the 38% rate, the DA becomes ₹19,000, bringing an additional ₹10,000 per month into the employee’s account.
Finance modules on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and e-Bantan portals are being updated to process payroll bills smoothly ahead of the festival deadline.
Key Benefits Announced For Police Personnel
Special relief measures have also been announced for state police forces:
- Ration Allowance: Monthly ration allowance for police staff will be raised to ₹2,000 starting October.
- Welfare Board: A dedicated Police Welfare Board (‘কল্যাণ পর্ষদ’) will be formed to address service grievances.
- Recruitment: A major recruitment drive to fill 1,00,000 vacant police posts across West Bengal will commence soon.
7th Pay Commission and Bridging the Central DA Gap
Addressing the long-standing difference between Central and State DA rates, the government stated that the gap will be bridged in a phased manner rather than all at once. Furthermore, the newly constituted 7th State Pay Commission, headed by former Union Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, is actively working to submit its final recommendations within the ongoing financial year.
