The West Bengal government has approved an increase in the remuneration of employees and contractual workers across 14 categories. According to the government, the decision will benefit more than one lakh people and impose an additional annual financial burden of around ₹390 crore on the state.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari briefed the media about the cabinet decisions in Kolkata on Monday after chairing the state cabinet meeting. He said the remuneration increases had not been included in the state Budget for 2026-27. The government has now decided to make additional financial provisions, taking into account the demands of the employees and the nature of their work.
The Chief Minister said the remuneration revision for the 14 categories would result in an additional annual financial burden of around ₹390 crore on the state government. More than one lakh employees and related personnel are expected to benefit directly from the decision.
According to the government, employees in the concerned categories had been demanding an increase in remuneration for a long period. The cabinet considered the demands appropriate and approved the revisions.
The Chief Minister said the government had taken the decision after considering the responsibilities and demands of employees across different categories. The remuneration increases will take effect from different dates for different categories.
Under the decision, remuneration for officers and employees associated with the Forest Department will also be increased. According to the Chief Minister, remuneration for Forest Department employees from deputy rangers to forest guards has been increased by ₹5,000.
The increase will take effect from October 1.
The Chief Minister also announced an increase in the remuneration of forest volunteers. The monthly remuneration of around 1,500 forest volunteers in the state will be increased by ₹2,000.
The cabinet decisions also include a revision of the medical allowance for former legislators. The Chief Minister said the medical allowance for former MLAs has been increased from ₹6,000 to ₹10,000.
The increase will take effect from August 1, giving former MLAs an additional ₹4,000 in medical allowance compared with the previous amount.
The Chief Minister also said that legislators of the West Bengal Assembly who have established ‘Netaji Seva Kendras’ in their respective constituencies will receive ₹30,000 per month for their operation.
The public service centres have been named after freedom fighter and national leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Chief Minister had recently directed legislators to establish such public service centres in their respective constituencies.
The state government has also approved an increase in the remuneration of para teachers and ‘Shiksha Bandhus’ working at the primary and upper-primary levels.
According to the Chief Minister, the monthly remuneration of 20,343 para teachers and ‘Shiksha Bandhus’ at the primary and upper-primary school levels will be increased by ₹5,000. The increase will take effect from November 1.
Separately, the Chief Minister said the state government would introduce a bill in the Assembly to facilitate inter-university transfers of teaching and non-teaching employees of universities.
The bill will be introduced during the Assembly’s one-day special session on September 10. It is intended to facilitate transfers of teaching and non-teaching employees from one university to another among universities in the state.
The detailed procedure and eligibility provisions for such transfers have not yet been disclosed.
The various remuneration and allowance increases announced by the West Bengal government will take effect from different dates. The ₹5,000 increase for Forest Department employees will come into effect on October 1, while forest volunteers will receive a ₹2,000 monthly increase.
The medical allowance for former MLAs will rise to ₹10,000 from August 1. The ₹5,000 increase in remuneration for 20,343 para teachers and ‘Shiksha Bandhus’ at the primary and upper-primary levels will take effect from November 1.
According to the government, the remuneration increases will result in an additional annual expenditure of around ₹390 crore and benefit more than one lakh people.
The cabinet decisions include remuneration revisions for employees across 14 categories, an increase in the medical allowance for former MLAs, financial assistance for MLAs operating Netaji Seva Kendras, and a proposed mechanism for inter-university transfers of university teaching and non-teaching employees.
