Bengal govt declares 10% DA hike from New Year

The West Bengal government announced a 10 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees with effect from January 1, 2016.

A notification issued by the state finance department on Monday said whole-time state government employees drawing a salary of up to Rs 80,000 per month would draw Dearness Allowances at the rate of 75 per cent with effect from January 1, 2016.

There would also be an ad hoc increase in the existing wages of daily-rated workers under the government with effect from January 1, 2016, the notification said.

CM Mamata Banerjee had announced the hike in September 2015, while addressing a meeting of TMC-affiliated West Bengal State Government Employees’ Federation. However, she had said no arrears would be paid. 

With this decision, nearly seven lakh state government employees would be benefited, while the 10 per cent hike in DA would cost the state exchequer around Rs 2,500 crore annually, an official said.