New Delhi: During the inauguration of Kolkata Christmas Carnival 2023, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a four percent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees, starting from January 1, 2024. The announcement was made during the inauguration event at Allen Park in the Park Street area of the city.


West Bengal DA Hike 2023: Which Employees Are Set To Benefit?


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Approximately 14 lakh state government employees, including teaching and non-teaching staff in schools, colleges, and universities, as well as employees of statutory undertakings and parastatals, along with pensioners, are set to benefit from this DA hike. (Also Read: Google Maps New Features Coming In 2024 For Indian Users: Check)


Banerjee highlighted that the decision would incur an additional expense of Rs 2,400 crore for the state government. She explained that despite having a Pay Commission, the state government voluntarily provides DA to its employees. (Also Read: Lava Storm 5G Launched In India: Check Price, Camera, Specifications, And More)


Unlike the central government where DA is mandatory, in West Bengal, it is an optional benefit. The Chief Minister emphasized that this decision was made in recognition of the hard work put in by the state employees.


During her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the previous day, Banerjee addressed the financial challenges faced by the state, stating that the central government owes West Bengal Rs 1.15 lakh crore.


Despite the financial strain, the state government has released a six percent DA under the new pay scale since 2019, amounting to an expenditure of Rs 4,144 crore over four years.


In 2019, the state government transitioned to the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, resulting in a dearness allowance increase to 125 percent of the basic pay for state employees.