West Bengal Raises DA By 20%; State Employees To Get 38% Allowance From October

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• West Bengal increased DA by 20% to 38% from October 2026.
• State budget focuses on employment, industrial growth, and revenue generation.
• Government to fill one lakh vacancies, 33% reserved for women.

The West Bengal government on Monday announced a 20 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees, taking the total DA to 38 per cent from October 1, 2026. The announcement emerged as the biggest takeaway from the state’s first Budget under the BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced the measure while presenting the 2026-27 Budget in the Assembly. The government said the revised DA would come into effect from October 1, providing relief to lakhs of state employees.

Presenting the Budget, Dasgupta said the government faced the challenge of increasing revenue without imposing additional taxes. He also indicated that the administration intends to focus on employment generation, industrial growth and revenue mobilisation.

DA Hike Takes Centre Stage

The 20 per cent increase in DA emerged as the headline measure of the Budget. With the latest revision, the total allowance payable to state government employees will rise to 38 per cent from October.

The announcement comes less than two months after the BJP government assumed office in West Bengal. Officials had indicated that the Budget would reflect several commitments made during the Assembly election campaign.

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Focus On Jobs And Women

The finance minister announced that the government would fill one lakh vacancies in state services. Of these, 33 per cent of the posts will be reserved for women.

Officials said the Budget is expected to emphasise employment generation and economic activity while outlining a medium-term fiscal roadmap for the state.

Other Budget Announcements

The government also increased the annual MLA local area development fund from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Additionally, retired journalists will receive a monthly pension of Rs 5,000, while individuals who were jailed for political reasons will be entitled to a monthly assistance of Rs 10,000.