West Bengal cabinet approves remuneration hike of over one lakh staff

The West Bengal government has decided to enhance the remuneration of a range of employees and contractual staff, benefiting around one lakh people, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Monday. Addressing the media after chairing a cabinet meeting in Kolkata, he also said a bill facilitating the inter-university transfer of both teaching and non-teaching staff will be presented in the assembly during a one-day special sitting on September 10. “Fourteen groups of employees will benefit from the increase in remuneration, which were not taken up in the state budget for 2026-27,” Adhikari said. “The state will incur an additional expenditure of Rs 390 crore per annum for this purpose, benefiting more than one lakh people,” he said, adding that the government felt their demands for a remuneration hike justifiable. The chief minister said the remuneration of forest officials, from deputy rangers to forest guards, was raised by Rs 5,000 effective October 1. He said around 1,500 forest volunteers would also receive a Rs 2,000-per month enhancement to their honorarium.

Kolkata, West Bengal: CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "... In this manner, for nearly 14 groups under our education department who were deprived during the budget, the cabinet has shown sympathy today, resulting in an additional annual expenditure of Rs 390 crore in this sector; a… pic.twitter.com/MLPWZZJupO

— IANS (@ians_india) September 7, 2026

Adhikari said the medical allowance of former MLAs was also raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 with effect from August 1. West Bengal Assembly MLAs, who have started Netaji Seva Kendras in their constituencies, would get Rs 30,000 per month to operate these, he said. The CM had recently directed MLAs to establish these public service centres, named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, across constituencies. Adhikari also said the remuneration of 20,343 primary and upper primary school-level para teachers and ‘Shiksha Bandhus’ would be increased by Rs 5,000 per month with effect from November 1.
Meanwhile, West Bengal’s revenue collection has risen by around 18% in the first three months of the new government, with the state recording roughly Rs1,000 crore more revenue in its first month than during the corresponding period last year. The government attributes the improvement to plugging revenue leakages and tightening collection, rather than increasing the tax burden. Mining, sand, coal, stone quarries, transport and traffic are facing greater scrutiny, while a proposed white paper will examine alleged leakages and estimate losses to the exchequer.