There is good news for West Bengal government employees and pensioners ahead of the Durga Puja festival.
The West Bengal government has announced an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) to 38% from October 1, 2026.
The Finance Department has officially notified the hike after the government announced a 20 percentage point increase in its Budget.
The revised DA and DR will benefit eligible government employees, pensioners and family pensioners.
Who Will Get the Benefit?
The DA and DR hike will cover several categories of employees and pensioners, including:
West Bengal government employees
State government pensioners and family pensioners
Employees of government undertakings
Employees of statutory bodies
Panchayat employees
Employees of municipalities and municipal corporations
Employees of other local bodies
Teaching and non-teaching staff of government-aided schools and colleges
Employees covered under the revised Sixth Pay Commission structure will receive DA at 38% of their revised basic pay from October 1.
Pensioners and family pensioners will also receive 38% Dearness Relief on their revised basic pension or family pension.
Big Increase for Employees Under 5th Pay Commission
The government has also announced a major change for employees who are still receiving salaries under the old or unrevised pay structure based on the Fifth Pay Commission.
For these employees, DA will increase from 171% to 223% from October 1.
Similarly, pensioners and family pensioners whose pensions have not yet been revised under ROPA 2009 will receive DR at 223%, compared with the earlier 171%.
The DA will be calculated on the employee’s revised basic pay and Non-Practising Allowance (NPA), wherever applicable.
Other allowances will not be included while calculating DA.
Daily-Wage Workers to Get ₹110 More
The government has also announced an increase for certain daily-rated workers.
Government daily-wage workers whose wages are not covered by laws such as the Minimum Wages Act will get an additional ₹110 per day.
This increase will also come into effect from October 1, 2026.
For government undertakings and statutory bodies, the additional cost of DA and DR will have to be managed from their own funds or financial assistance received through the state budget.
DA Hike Comes Before Durga Puja
The timing of the DA hike is particularly important for employees because the revised rates will take effect just before Durga Puja.
The state government had also indicated that October salaries would be released before Durga Puja, instead of waiting until the usual end-of-month salary schedule.
This means eligible employees could receive their October salary earlier, helping them manage expenses during the festival season.
However, the actual increase in salary will be different for each employee because DA is calculated as a percentage of basic pay.
What Is DA and How Does It Help Employees?
Dearness Allowance (DA) is an important part of the salary of government employees.
It is provided to help employees deal with the impact of rising prices and inflation. DA is calculated as a percentage of basic pay.
For pensioners and family pensioners, the same type of benefit is called Dearness Relief (DR).
DR is calculated on the revised basic pension or family pension.
What About the 7th Pay Commission?
West Bengal has already constituted its 7th Pay Commission to review salaries, allowances and service conditions of state government employees and pensioners.
The state government has indicated that it is committed to implementing the commission’s recommendations.
However, employees should note that the latest 38% DA hike is separate from the 7th Pay Commission.
Any major revision in the overall salary structure will depend on the recommendations of the commission and the government’s decision after receiving those recommendations.
For now, the key change is clear: the revised DA and DR rates will come into effect from October 1, 2026, providing a major financial benefit to eligible employees and pensioners ahead of Durga Puja.
