The West Bengal government has made a big announcement about the 7th Pay Commission in its 2026 interim budget. So, when will the new salary structure start? How much will salaries go up? And what's the latest on the pending DA? 

The West Bengal government has finally announced the 7th Pay Commission. This move will benefit lakhs of state government employees, bringing a massive change to their salary structure. But the big question is, when will it actually start? Let's find out.Putting all speculation to rest, the state government announced the 7th Pay Commission for its employees during the interim budget on February 5. This was a much-awaited move.Usually, both the Centre and states set up a pay commission every ten years. The 6th Pay Commission's term is ending on December 31, 2025. So, in theory, the 7th Pay Commission's recommendations should kick in from January 1, 2026. But the actual date is still up in the air.State government employees have been getting their salaries based on the 6th Pay Commission, also known as ROPA 2019. Experts feel the government announced this new commission to stay in sync with the Central government's upcoming 8th Pay Commission.The 'fitment factor' is the most crucial part of any pay commission. It's expected that the new commission will align this factor with the Central government's standards. Experts predict the state government could consider a fitment factor anywhere between 2.91 and 3.15.Just to be clear, the government hasn't given any official update on the 'fitment factor' yet. But if the salaries are revised at this rate, employees are in for a big windfall. The new fitment factor could triple their basic pay.Here's a simple calculation: if the current basic pay is ₹18,000, a 2.91 fitment factor could push the new basic to ₹52,380. With a 3.15 factor, it could even touch ₹56,700. And remember, the House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Dearness Allowance (DA) will also shoot up along with the basic pay.It's important to remember that the budget only showed the government's intention. The actual process is quite long. First, the state will issue a formal notification to form the commission. After that, it will announce the names of the chairman and other members.This committee will then submit its report to the finance department within a set deadline. Only after the finance department gives its green signal will the new salary structure be implemented. This means government employees still have a bit of a wait ahead of them.