Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a Haldia rally on Thursday, promised to roll out 7th Pay Commission terms for West Bengal employees if the BJP wins the state.
- West Bengal still follows its own 6th pay rules under ROPA 2019, which were built to mirror central 7th basic pay but leave a wide gap in inflation-linked Dearness Allowance.
- Employee groups cite the DA gap as the core pain point, with reporting placing the shortfall versus central staff at more than 30 percent as of April 2026.
- The Supreme Court ordered the state to clear a decade of DA arrears, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began phased payments from March 2026 that address back dues rather than current parity.
- The union government set up the 8th Central Pay Commission in late 2025 with consultations underway and a projected basic pay lift of 30 to 50 percent, raising expectations as lakhs of Bengal employees and pensioners weigh the pledge in an election year.