The new BJP government in West Bengal has been in a hurry to put its stamp on pay and welfare. In a cabinet session on May 18, 2026, they gave the nod to the Seventh Pay Commission, free bus rides for women, and a Rs 3,000 a month from Annapurna Bhandar, all to be in effect as of June 1. It is an overt move to put things right and make up for the gap between state and central compensation.
Here are the headline decisions as announced after the meeting:
– Seventh Pay Commission approved for state employees
– Free bus travel for women from June 1
– Rs 3,000 monthly under Annapurna from June 1
To be sure, the ministers have made it clear this is about parity with the centre, something employee unions have been at odds over for some time. The 7th Pay Commission for state staff has been put in place.
Targeting women voters with Annapurna and travel
Then there are the other measures: from June 1, women can ride on state buses without charge, and those under the Annapurna umbrella will see a monthly top-up of Rs 3,000.
Pay parity push and DA context
This was all in keeping with what Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had put out before the meeting, to the effect that he would be looking into a number of pressing issues for his employees and pensioners, DA included. Right now, after a 4-point bump in the interim Budget, state workers are on 22 per cent DA. But they are still on the 6th Pay Commission, so there is no shortage of anticipation for a raise.
Annapurna Bhandar, which is being rolled out with a Rs 3,000 cash handout from the exchequer, is the successor to the Lakshmi Bhandar, whose disbursement was only recently hiked to Rs 1,500. And as for the buses, Minister Agnimitra Paul has confirmed that even CAA applicants and those who have gone through the tribunals to get on the voter list will be in for the Annapurna benefits.
The cabinet also made a point of ending any aid to groups along religious lines come June. Every central scheme will be put in motion without delay, you can be sure of that.
Realignment of welfare and quotas
In a break with the past, the old OBC list has been done away with, following a Calcutta High Court order. A panel will be formed to sort out who is in and who is out when it comes to quotas. You could call it a house-cleaning of the kind of policies left behind by the TMC.
Why it matters and what comes next
You can see where the BJP is coming from. After unseating the TMC, they are making their mark in week one with these reforms and the way they are handling welfare.
Adhikari, who has been at it since he was sworn in on May 9, held his first janata darbar and has put his word on more of the same. We should have some more answers on the ground in 15 days or so, when the cabinet reconvenes to talk shop on the nitty-gritty of pay and who gets what.
