Bengal clears 14,454 govt jobs, Rs 50,000 aid for women in higher education

The West Bengal government on Monday announced recruitment to 14,454 posts across several departments within the next six to eight months and approved a new scheme offering Rs 50,000 over three years to unmarried women pursuing higher education.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, briefing reporters at the state secretariat after a Cabinet meeting, said the Public Service Commission and the State Police Recruitment Board would carry out the examination and recruitment process for the newly approved vacancies. The announcements also included higher remuneration for contractual support workers, increased food allowance for SC and ST hostel students and a series of police and cultural initiatives ahead of Durga Puja.

14,454 posts cleared

The new vacancies will be spread across departments including police, forests, fire services, prisons, home and hill affairs. Adhikari said the recruitment exercise was expected to be completed within six to eight months.

The Chief Minister linked the decision to his government’s commitment to provide one lakh government jobs in the state. He said the PSC was now functioning at full strength and working to clear pending recruitment processes.

Adhikari also attacked the previous Trinamool Congress government over recruitment, alleging that young people had lost employment opportunities because of complications surrounding OBC certificates and administrative failures. He claimed recruitment would have remained stalled had the previous government continued in office. These were political allegations by the Chief Minister against the former TMC administration.

Rs 50,000 for women students

The Cabinet also approved the Bhagini Nivedita Scheme, under which unmarried women pursuing higher education will receive financial assistance totalling Rs 50,000 over three years.

Under the scheme, eligible students will receive Rs 17,000 in the first year and another Rs 17,000 in the second year. They will receive Rs 16,000 in the third year, taking the total assistance to Rs 50,000.

The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from January 2027. The government has positioned it as financial support aimed at helping women continue higher education over a three-year undergraduate period.

Karmabandhus get pay hike

The government also approved a substantial increase in the monthly remuneration paid to Karmabandhus, contractual sanitation and support workers engaged under the land and land revenue administration.

Their monthly remuneration will increase from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, a rise of Rs 3,000. The revised payment will take effect from this month.

The measure provides a 60% increase in their monthly remuneration and forms part of the package of decisions cleared by the Cabinet ahead of the festive season.

Hostel food allowance raised

SC and ST students living in government hostels will also receive a higher monthly food allowance. The government has increased the amount from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,300 per student.

The Rs 1,500 increase is intended to meet higher food costs for students staying in government-run hostels. The revision represents an increase of more than 80% over the existing monthly allocation.

Together with the Bhagini Nivedita Scheme, the decision places education and student support among the central welfare measures announced after Monday’s Cabinet meeting.

Police appointments on October 11

Adhikari also provided an update on recruitment to the state police. Appointment-related formalities for around 12,000 posts will be taken up on October 11, he said.

Around 5,000 candidates are expected to receive appointment letters at a programme on the same day. The recruitment is separate from the broader announcement of 14,454 newly approved posts.

The government has been seeking to accelerate pending appointments while simultaneously creating fresh vacancies across the police and other departments.

112 emergency service from October 10

The Chief Minister announced that the nationwide emergency response number 112 will be launched for the West Bengal Police on October 10, coinciding with Mahalaya.

As part of the rollout, new vehicles will be added to the police fleet. Adhikari said 400 vehicles and 450 motorcycles would be handed over to police stations across the state at a programme at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.

The emergency response system is intended to provide people with a single number through which they can seek urgent police assistance rather than relying on multiple helplines.

3,000-drone Mahalaya show

The government has also planned a large cultural programme at Eden Gardens on October 10 to mark Mahalaya, with a drone show expected to be one of its main attractions.

Adhikari said around 3,000 drones would be used in the display, which he described as an effort to symbolically bring “Maa to Bengal”. Around 45,000 people are expected to attend the programme, and the Governor has also been invited.

Mahalaya traditionally marks the beginning of Devi Paksha and signals the approach of Durga Puja, making the event particularly significant in Bengal’s cultural calendar.

Several government programmes will begin after Mahalaya and continue through the festive period.

Bijaya Sammilani on October 26

A special Bijaya Sammilani for Durga Puja committees will be organised on October 26. Instead of conventional catering, the event will feature food stalls showcasing popular dishes from different districts of West Bengal.

The programme is intended to bring together Puja organisers after the festival while highlighting the state’s regional cuisines.

Monday’s Cabinet announcements combined recruitment, student assistance, higher allowances and police infrastructure with a series of programmes around the Durga Puja season. The largest immediate administrative exercise will be the recruitment of 14,454 personnel, which the government has set a six-to-eight-month deadline to complete.