Calcutta, Feb. 6: The Bengal government today announced the release of one instalment of dearness allowance (DA) for 10 lakh employees with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections.

State employees will get the allowance — equivalent to six per cent of the basic pay and dearness pay taken together — with their salaries in March.

Teachers, non-teaching staff in non-government educational institutions as well as panchayat, municipality and municipal corporation officials will benefit from this order.

Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said 4.3 lakh pensioners would also get the benefit. “There will also be a corresponding increase in relief on pension for 4.3 lakh pensioners.” The allowance would cost the state exchequer Rs 63 crore in the current fiscal.

Dasgupta also said the government would implement the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission from April 1.