The West Bengal government has placed employment generation and public sector workforce expansion at the centre of its 2026 27 Budget, announcing plans to recruit one lakh employees across government departments while granting a 20 percentage point increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state employees.
Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the recruitment drive is intended to strengthen public service delivery while creating fresh employment opportunities. The hiring plan includes approximately 50,000 teaching and non teaching positions in schools, 20,000 vacancies in the police force, with the remaining posts to be filled across various government departments.
As part of its inclusion agenda, the government said one third of the new vacancies will be reserved for women, while eligible Agniveers will receive reservation benefits in accordance with the state's policy. The administration has also extended the upper age relaxation for government job applicants by two more years, allowing a larger pool of candidates to participate in upcoming recruitment drives.
In a significant relief for state employees, the government announced a 20 percentage point increase in Dearness Allowance, raising the DA to 38 per cent. The move is expected to ease the impact of inflation on government employees and pensioners while improving overall compensation.
Beyond employment, the Budget outlines a wider economic and social development agenda. A substantial allocation has been earmarked for the Annapurna Yojana, which provides financial assistance to women, alongside increased spending on healthcare, education, infrastructure and digital governance. The government also proposed the launch of an AI Mission to accelerate technology adoption across public services and support innovation driven growth.
The Budget further includes measures aimed at benefiting salaried individuals and improving the business environment. The profession tax exemption threshold has been raised to ₹20,000 per month, offering tax relief to lower income earners, while the government also announced plans to introduce legislative reforms designed to simplify business operations and encourage investment.
With its twin focus on employment creation and employee welfare, the Budget seeks to combine public sector hiring, income support and long term economic development as key pillars of the state's growth strategy. |
