In a major announcement fulfilling a long-standing demand, the newly formed West Bengal Cabinet has officially given its in-principle approval for the establishment of the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees. The decision was formalized during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna, the state secretariat.
The approved proposal paves the way for a structural restructuring of pay scales, offering a significant salary and pension hike for lakhs of individuals across the state. The decision brings relief to employees of:
- Core State Government Departments
- Government Boards and Corporations
- State-Aided Bodies
- Educational Institutions
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Agnimitra Paul, stated that the step addresses a crucial and highly anticipated requirement of the state’s workforce. While a concrete timeline for the final rollout of the restructured salaries is yet to be fully laid out, the formation of the Pay Commission panel marks a crucial milestone in shifting state salaries toward parity with central government benchmarks.
Additional Cabinet Decisions
Alongside the historic decision on the 7th Pay Commission, the Cabinet cleared several other major policy measures:
- Annapurna Bhandar Scheme: Launching on June 1, this financial assistance program will provide ₹3,000 per month to eligible women via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Beneficiaries of the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will automatically transition to this updated scheme.
- Free Transport for Women: The state has approved free travel for women on all state-run public transport buses starting June 1.
- Welfare Realignment: The Cabinet decided to discontinue specific cash-incentive schemes categorized by religion under the Minorities, Madrasa, and Information & Cultural Affairs departments, though educational scholarship programs will remain active.
While the exact fiscal framework of the salary hikes will become clearer when the full state budget is presented, this move fulfills a key electoral promise and is expected to substantially boost the financial morale of West Bengal’s public sector employees.
