Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in West Bengal ahead of the state's two-phase Assembly elections on April 23 and 29, promised to implement the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees within 45 days of a BJP government coming to power.
Speaking at a rally in Haldia, PM Modi said the move would ensure fair salaries and greater financial security for government employees, adding that aligning state pay structures with central government standards would help reduce long-standing disparities.
"Everyone will receive their rightful due, and this is Modi's guarantee," he said.
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The 7th Pay Commission, which the BJP is promising to West Bengal employees, is the pay structure that has been in force for central government employees since 2016. It revises salaries using a fitment factor of 2.57, significantly raising the minimum pay.
It is not mandatory for the state governments to align their pay commissions with the Centre. So, in West Bengal and Punjab, it is still the 6th Pay Commission. In Kerala, it is the 11th Pay Commission, while in Karnataka, the pay commission is the same as in Centre (7th).
Meanwhile, the Centre has approved the 8th Central Pay Commission. Under the 8th Pay Commission, the minimum salary for central government employees is expected to rise to approximately Rs 41,000 from the current Rs 18,000.
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The BJP's Sankalp Patra for West Bengal, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, also includes a 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, alongside promises of a crackdown on corruption and illegal infiltrators.
Voting in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes on May 4. In the 2021 elections, the Trinamool Congress won 213 seats, with the BJP finishing second at 77.
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