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Opposition parties are objecting to the timing of the DA hike ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in the state.
West Bengal DA Hike
The West Bengal government led by Mamta Banerjee has given a big reward to the state employees and pensioners by increasing the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 4 per cent. The West Bengal’s state FM minister Chandrima Bhattacharya announced the DA hike in the Budget 2025. The increased DA to 18 per cent will become effective from April 01, 2025.
The DA hike will directly benefit over 10 lakh state government employees and pensioners.
Dearness Allowance helps employees and pensioners cope with rising inflation and prices by offering cost-of-living adjustments. It is calculated as a percentage of the basic salary or pension and is revised periodically.
Important Highlights In Budget Speech 2025
Bhattacharya during the budget speech said that West Bengal’s unemployment rate stayed at 4.14 per cent by January end, below the national average of 7.93 per cent.
He added that the government pulled out over 92 lakh people from poverty till 2021, which has grown to 1.72 crore as of now.
The Rs 1,500 crore allotment for rural road repair, which aims to improve connectivity and stimulate economic activity in remote areas, is a big highlight. In order to help vulnerable riverine populations, the government has also allocated Rs 200 crore to mitigate river erosion.
In 2024–2025, West Bengal’s Gross State Domestic Product expanded by 6.8%, outpacing India’s 6.37% national growth rate. Agrarian support, rural infrastructure, and social welfare are given top priority in the state budget, which is estimated at Rs 3.89 lakh crore.
Politics kicks off in the state.
Opposition parties are objecting to the timing of the DA hike ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Denying any ulterior motive regarding the DA hike, Bhattacharya said “We are reaffirming our commitment to the welfare of our employees’.
