West Bengal budget 2026: BJP govt raises DA to 38 per cent, announces 1 lakh jobs

The BJP government in West Bengal on Monday (June 22) presented its first full-fledged budget since coming to power, announcing a 20-percentage-point hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and disclosing that the state's outstanding debt had climbed to Rs 8 lakh crore.

Presenting the budget in the Assembly, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the additional DA would raise the total rate from 18 per cent to 38 per cent from October 1. The budget also unveiled a slew of welfare measures, recruitment plans, enhanced allowances and social security benefits aimed at fulfilling key promises made by the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections.

The DA hike is among the most significant decisions of the BJP government's maiden budget, given the prolonged agitation by state employees during the previous Trinamool Congress regime over DA parity with central government staff and payment of arrears.

While the latest increase narrows the gap, state employees will still receive 38 per cent DA compared with 60 per cent for central government employees. The BJP government has also initiated the process of clearing pending DA arrears, a long-standing demand of employee organisations.

Here are the key announcements from the budget:

• DA for state government employees will be increased by an additional 20 percentage points from October 1, taking the total DA to 38 per cent. Pensioners will also receive an additional 20 per cent Dearness Relief.

• The state's total outstanding debt stands at Rs 8,15,891 crore.

• One lakh vacancies will be filled across departments. The recruitment drive will include 20,000 police personnel and 50,000 teachers and education staff.

• Thirty-three per cent of the new jobs will be reserved for women as part of the government's effort to increase female participation in the workforce and promote gender representation in public service. The reservation will apply across various departments covered under the recruitment drive, including education, administration and other eligible government sectors.

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• Ten per cent reservation for Agniveers will be provided in eligible government recruitment.

• The five-year relaxation in the upper age limit for government jobs will continue for another two years.

• All existing social welfare schemes will continue. “We must ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the most vulnerable sections of society. Necessary changes must be made to these schemes,” said Dasgupta.

• The government has launched a citizen outreach initiative called 'Your Government, By Your Side'. “A corruption-free administrative structure is a cornerstone of our vision. We must restore the trust of the people of the state. The state government has launched a new initiative called ‘Your Government, By Your Side’ to reach out to citizens,” the Finance Minister said.

• Allocation for Annapurna Yojana has been fixed at Rs 36,000 crore.

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• Rs 550 crore has been earmarked for free bus travel for women. A Pink Card scheme will be introduced for beneficiaries.

• Monthly allowances for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities will be increased by Rs 500.

• Contractual conductors of the State Transport Corporation will receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 16,000.

• Civic Volunteers, Village Police personnel, Green Police personnel and Home Guards will get a monthly remuneration increase of Rs 2,000.

• ASHA workers will receive an increase of Rs 5,000 in their monthly honorarium.

• The MLA Local Area Development Fund has been increased from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore.