West Bengal government employees will receive their October 2026 salary and enhanced dearness allowance on October 15, ahead of Durga Puja. Pensions, family pensions, wages, stipends and honorariums will also be paid, with treasuries instructed to process bills in advance.
The West Bengal government has decided to release the October 2026 salary of state government employees in advance, along with the enhanced dearness allowance (DA), ahead of the Durga Puja festive season. According to a notification issued by the state Finance Department on Wednesday, October 15 has been fixed as the date for disbursement of salaries and related payments.
The advance payment has been scheduled just ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations. The state government has also directed that pensions and family pensions for retired government employees be credited on the same day. The decision is intended to ensure that employees and pensioners receive their payments before the major festive period begins.
According to the Finance Department directive, the October salary will be paid along with the applicable enhanced DA. The government had earlier announced an additional 20 per cent DA for its employees, effective from October 1, taking the applicable DA rate to 38 per cent. The revised DA and dearness relief for pensioners are to be disbursed along with the October payments.
The special payment schedule will not be limited to regular government employees. The notification also covers salaries under grant-in-aid sectors, wages, remuneration, honorariums and stipends for various categories of employees and personnel. These payments are also to be processed for release on October 15.
Normally, West Bengal government employees receive their monthly salary toward the end of the month or at the beginning of the following month. However, the Finance Department has issued special instructions for October 2026, changing the regular payment schedule to facilitate payment before the festive season.
The notification, signed by Additional Chief Secretary of the state Finance Department P K Mishra, has instructed officials to ensure smooth functioning of treasuries during the advance payment process. The department has specifically asked concerned officials to complete the required procedures ahead of the scheduled payment date.
Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and administrators of deposit accounts have been directed to submit bills and advice to the concerned Treasury offices in advance. They have also been asked to issue the necessary mandates to treasuries so that payments can be processed without delay.
The Finance Department has further instructed officials to ensure that bills are submitted sufficiently ahead of time so that the funds can reach employees’ and pensioners’ accounts on October 15. The advance processing is aimed at avoiding last-minute difficulties in distributing the salary, pension and other payments.
The October payment schedule also comes at a time when the state is preparing for the annual Durga Puja celebrations. The official state Puja calendar lists October 15 as Maha Chaturthi, with the main Durga Puja period following thereafter.
The October 15 payment date also falls one day before the scheduled October 16 polling for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by former Trinamool Congress MP Koel Mallick. The Election Commission has announced October 16 as the polling date for the vacant West Bengal Rajya Sabha seat following Mallick’s resignation in July.
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For state government employees, pensioners and other eligible beneficiaries, the Finance Department’s notification therefore establishes a single advance payment date for several categories of October financial disbursements. The government has asked all concerned departments, DDOs and treasury officials to complete their responsibilities in advance to ensure that the payments are credited as scheduled.
The special arrangement applies specifically to October 2026. Regular monthly salary and pension payment schedules will continue to be governed by the applicable government guidelines for other months.
