Bengal cabinet approves Seventh Pay Commission; women to get free state bus travel

Seventh State Pay Commission cleared, Annapurna scheme approved and religion-based welfare plans to be axed; free bus rides for women from June 1

The West Bengal cabinet on Monday approved the constitution of a Seventh State Pay Commission to review and redraw the salary structure for state government employees, a key early move by the new BJP-led administration under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The decision — among several welfare and administrative measures cleared at a morning meeting in Kolkata — is being viewed as the government’s effort to deliver on pre-election promises while reshaping some legacy programmes.

Pay commission formally set up
According to officials who attended the meeting, formal approval was given to constitute the Seventh State Pay Commission, tasked with examining pay scales, allowances and related service conditions for the state’s workforce. “The cabinet has approved setting up the pay commission,” Minister Agnimitra Paul told reporters after the meeting. The panel’s terms of reference, membership and timetable were not disclosed immediately.

Free bus travel for women
In another high-profile decision, the cabinet gave in-principle approval for free travel for women in all state-run government buses from June 1. State transport authorities will issue implementing guidelines in the coming days, officials said. The measure is slated to cover the state transport corporation and other government-operated bus services, though private and interstate services were not mentioned.

New welfare move: Annapurna Yojana
The cabinet also cleared the Annapurna Yojana under the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare — a nutrition and food-assistance scheme aimed at vulnerable populations. Officials said the Annapurna Bhandar programme will be launched as part of the government’s social welfare push, but detailed beneficiary lists, funding allocations and operational plans will be announced after further consultations.

Religion-based schemes to end
In a major administrative shift, the government decided to discontinue certain assistance programmes that were administered on the basis of religious classification under the Information and Cultural Affairs Department and the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department. Sources said these schemes will continue for the current month but will be stopped from next month. Officials framed the move as part of a broader realignment of welfare schemes, but did not provide figures on how many beneficiaries would be affected.

DA, OBC review left for later
Despite expectations among state employees for an immediate Dearness Allowance (DA) hike, the DA issue was not discussed at Monday’s meeting. Sources close to the administration said the DA would be examined separately, suggesting employees may have to wait for a dedicated session. The cabinet did, however, clear a review of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations and sub-categorisation for state government posts. Agnimitra Paul said fresh inquiries will be launched and decisions will follow directions issued by the Calcutta High Court on inclusion of communities in the OBC list.

Ground-level reactions
Reaction from employee unions and opposition parties was swift. A leader of one government staff association, speaking on condition of anonymity, said workers will press for an early announcement on DA and want the pay commission to move quickly. Opposition figures called for transparency on which religion-based schemes will be discontinued and urged the state to publish beneficiary data before changes take effect.

Implementation questions remain
Officials acknowledged several implementation challenges. Transport department sources said logistics for free women’s travel — from funding compensation to issuing smartcards or passes — must be finalised within days. Similarly, social welfare officers said the Annapurna rollout will require coordination with district administrations and existing food distribution channels.

What happens next
The immediate next steps include formal notification of the pay commission’s terms and timelines, and an official government order detailing the scope and start date for free bus travel for women. The state has also prepared to launch fresh inquiries into OBC lists, with district-level teams expected to collect records and submissions over the coming months.

With several measures aimed at signalling a policy reset and welfare focus, the administration faces the practical test of translating these cabinet decisions into functioning programmes on the ground — all under a tight timetable and sharp public scrutiny.