Suvendu Sarkar rolls out Diwali bonanza for Bengal babus, hikes IAS allowances by 50%

New Delhi: The Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government has rolled out a grand Diwali bonanza for its battery of IAS officers, announcing a 50% hike in their sumptuary allowance, probably the highest in the country.

The bonanza also includes soft loans of up to ₹50 lakh for the higher education of their children in India and abroad, an expanded leave travel concession (LTC) for Southeast Asian countries, Dubai and Mauritius, and post-retirement benefits for top-level retirees.

According to a November 6 memorandum issued by West Bengal's Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, senior officers at the levels of secretary, principal secretary and additional chief secretary will receive a 50% hike in their sumptuary allowance (meant for hospitality/entertainment expenses), taking it to ₹60,000, ₹70,000 and ₹80,000 per month, respectively.


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The enhanced allowance will benefit well over 50 senior officials in the state and mark a significant increase in their take-home salary.

Incidentally, the last such hike in sumptuary allowance was introduced by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government in November 2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It had attracted considerable attention at the time, with monthly hikes ranging from ₹17,000 to ₹34,000 for senior officers.

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The 2026 memorandum also allows all 300-plus IAS officers in the state to avail themselves of education loans of up to ₹50 lakh for their children's education, including "study abroad and boarding school" expenses. The move cites the "increase in the cost of education in India and abroad and the start of hybrid degree" programmes, under which a part of graduate-level education is pursued overseas.

Officers above the rank of secretary will also get reimbursement of electricity charges of up to 500 units per month, according to the memorandum.

The much-coveted LTC has also received a makeover for Bengal cadre officers. They will now be permitted to travel to Southeast Asian countries, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Dubai, the Maldives and Mauritius once in a block of four years, with the caveat that the fare will not exceed the farthest point in India.

IAS officers retiring at the apex scale, too, have reason to cheer.

A November 6 order stipulates that all such retired officers residing in West Bengal will be entitled to two attendants and an internet allowance of Rs 5,000 per month.

Officers below the rank of secretary and posted in Kolkata will now get a sumptuary allowance of ₹15,000 per month, subject to revision every three years. They will also get reimbursement of house rent of up to ₹60,000 per month, with the ceiling set to increase by 20% every three years, provided the officer is not allotted government accommodation and is not availing House Rent Allowance.

Adding to it, every IAS officer will receive ₹10,000 per month towards "knowledge tools" used for official work, based on self-certification.

Even a newly inducted IAS officer joining the West Bengal cadre will be entitled to a starter package comprising a laptop, desktop and printer, with the total expenditure capped at ₹2 lakh.

Under the 7th Pay Commission, which is currently in force, an entry-level IAS officer is estimated to draw around ₹1.25 lakh per month, including Dearness Allowance and other allowances. At the secretary level, this goes up to nearly ₹3.67 lakh per month.