# West Bengal notifies 38% DA hike for employees from October 1 2026-08-07T14:04:11+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The West Bengal government has officially notified a 38% dearness allowance and dearness relief hike for state employees and pensioners, effective October 1, ahead of Durga Puja. The Finance Department notification covers employees under the 6th Pay Commission, while those under the 5th Pay Commission will receive DA at 223%. Daily-rated workers not covered by the Minimum Wages Act will get an ad hoc increase of Rs 110 per day. The notification also empowers administrative departments to implement the hike without further approval. Separately, The Economic Times reports that the newly constituted 7th state pay commission has proposed terms including pay parity with central employees, 5% annual increments, and restoration of commuted pension after 11 years. The commission aims to recommend a revised pay structure from January 1, 2026, with a fitment factor after 100% DA merger, following the 8th Central Pay Commission model. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - livemint.com - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: DA hike, dearness allowance, Durga Puja, government employees, pay commission, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-notifies-38-da-hike-for-employees-before-puja/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-notifies-38-da-hike-for-employees-before-puja/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.