7th Pay Commission: The state government of West Bengal has announced an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief, which is excellent news for government employees, pensioners, and family pensioners. Beginning on March 1, 2023, the DA will be calculated at 6% of basic pay. The announcement was made in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission to alleviate inflation.
The revised basic pay and non-allowance will be used to calculate DA. The basic pay and DA will be calculated in the absence of any other allowances. Teachers and other government-aided institution employees, as well as employees of local bodies, will be eligible for the increased DA. The pension disbursing authority will be in charge of determining how much dearness relief will be applied to the revised pension and how much will be distributed to each individual.
However, despite this increase, a state government worker noted that the central government’s DA for employees would still be 32% higher. DA and the center should be equalized, according to several organizations representing state government employees. State government employee organizations organized a 48-hour “pen down” movement earlier this week, ignoring the warning to take action.
For government workers, pensioners, and family pensioners who have been bearing the brunt of rising inflation, the state government’s announcement is a welcome relief. They will be able to better control their expenses thanks to the increase in DA, which will alleviate some of their financial burden. This increase is a step in the right direction, despite the ongoing demand for DA to be equalized with the central government.
