Mamata Banerjee Announces Payment of DA Arrears to West Bengal Government Employees

Kolkata, March 2026 : Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, on Sunday announced that the state government will begin paying long-pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears to its employees starting March 2026, in compliance with directions issued by the Supreme Court of India.

The announcement was made through a statement shared by the Chief Minister on her official social media platforms on Sunday afternoon. The development came shortly before the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Assembly elections in several states, including West Bengal.

In her statement, Banerjee said the state’s “Maa-Maati-Maanush” government had fulfilled its commitment to employees and pensioners across various sectors. She said the payment would benefit lakhs of state government employees, teachers, non-teaching staff in educational institutions, and employees of grant-in-aid bodies such as panchayats, municipal corporations and other local bodies.

According to the Chief Minister, eligible employees and pensioners will start receiving arrears related to the 2009 pay structure, known as ROPA 2009, from March this year. The payment process will follow the modalities outlined in official notifications issued by the state Finance Department.

Earlier in 2026, the Supreme Court directed the state government to clear 25 per cent of the DA arrears accumulated between 2008 and 2019 by March 31. The court had also instructed the government to adopt a phased approach to settle the dues, while gradually aligning the DA rates of state employees with those received by Central government employees.

The issue of DA arrears has been a major point of contention between the state government and employee unions for several years. Government staff in West Bengal have long been demanding that their DA be brought at par with that of Central government employees under the ROPA 2009 pay structure. They have also sought payment of arrears accumulated since 2008.

Employee organisations have held protests and demonstrations over the issue in recent years. Earlier this month, several state government employees staged a cease-work protest, accusing the government of delaying compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.

With Sunday’s announcement, the state government signalled its intention to implement the court’s order and begin clearing the long-pending dues. Officials said detailed procedures and payment schedules have been outlined by the Finance Department to ensure that the disbursement process takes place smoothly.

The decision is expected to bring relief to thousands of employees and pensioners who have been awaiting payment of the arrears for more than a decade.