Bengal Budget 2026: Teachers’ bodies welcome 20 per cent DA hike

Kolkata: Teachers' organisations in West Bengal on Monday expressed satisfaction over the BJP government's decision to hike dearness allowance by 20 percentage points for government employees in the budget. Presenting the budget for 2026-27 in the assembly, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced that the dearness allowance of state government employees and the dearness relief for pensioners would be raised by 20 percentage points from October 1, taking the total DA to 38 per cent.

The move narrows the gap between the DA received by state government employees and their central government counterparts by 22 percentage points. "This is a welcome step. The previous government had left behind a huge backlog, and no government could have settled the entire issue at one go," 'Bangiya Shikshak O Shikshakarmi Samiti' general secretary Swapan Mondal said.

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"We are broadly satisfied with the decision. At the same time, we would appeal to the government to clear the remaining 22 per cent by December," he said. 'Shikshanuragi Oikya Manch' general secretary Kinkar Adhikari also welcomed the announcement, but sought faster implementation.

"We congratulate the government for announcing a 20-per cent DA hike and addressing a long-standing grievance of employees. However, we demand that the enhanced DA be made effective from July and that all remaining arrears be cleared expeditiously," Adhikari said. The dearness allowance issue had created controversy during the previous Trinamool Congress regime, with sections of employees staging prolonged protests demanding DA at central government rates and payment of arrears.