Bengal govt employees to get 20% DA, October salary before Durga Puja

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said that the state government employees will get 20 per cent dearness allowance (DA) and the salary of October before the Durga Puja festivities. Adhikari also said that he is committed to reducing the DA gap between the central and state government employees, besides implementing the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission which was set up a few days ago. Addressing a programme at West Bengal Police headquarters 'Bhavani Bhavan', Adhikari said, "I have asked the finance secretary and the finance minister to ensure that October salaries are released before Durga Puja. I have also directed them to release the additional 20 per cent dearness allowance during the Puja month." State government employees receive their salaries on the last working day of each month. If implemented, the move would allow them to receive their salary well before the Durga Puja which will be held in the middle of October this year.

Referring to his government's budget announcement, the chief minister said the additional 20 per cent DA would come into effect from October. "There is a 42 per cent DA gap between the Centre and the state. We cannot bridge that gap overnight; it will take time," he said. Noting that officers below the IPS rank had not received adequate attention in the past, Adhikari said police personnel, like other state government employees, had also faced financial hardship over the years. Many states have revised the pay structure of their employees, but that did not happen here, the chief minister said. "You have not received the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission. We have already constituted the commission, and once it submits its report in the next few months, we will implement its recommendations," he said.