- Mamata Banerjee announced DA arrears for state employees before Model Code of Conduct begins
- EC stated pre-Code decisions by state governments, including DA hike, remain valid and not violations
- The DA announcement follows a legal dispute with employees reaching the Supreme Court over pending dues
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, less than an hour before the announcement of Model Code of Conduct in the state, has announced Dearness Allowance or DA for thousands of state government employees. The Model Code of Conduct will come into place this evening after the Election Commission announces poll dates for the coming round of assembly elections, in which Bengal is included.
In a post on X, Banerjee said the state employees "will start receiving their ROPA 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards as per the modalities detailed out in the Notifications issued by our Finance Department".
The Election Commission of India clarified today that the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect across all relevant states following its press conference announcing the assembly election schedules, including for West Bengal, but any decisions or announcements made by state governments prior to this, including Chief Minister Banerjee's recent hike in monthly honorarium and related DA or similar benefits-are considered valid actions of the respective state government and not in violation of the code.
The announcement comes amid a massive face-off between the state government and its employees that has reached the Supreme Court. The government's sudden capitulation is being seen as a move made with an eye on elections. The BJP has already jeered about it, with the party's Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, calling it a "joke".
In a post on X, he said, "After years of looting the state treasury and cheating them blind, this is your desperate last-minute poll gimmick? Not a single paisa will actually be released. Zero accountability, zero funds, zero delivery - only empty notifications from your Finance Department to fool the People one last time. Classic TMC election drama".
Read: Top Court Reserves Verdict On Pleas Asking Bengal To Pay 25% Of Pending Dues
The employees had initially gone to the Calcutta High Court seeking DA parity with Central government staff, including arrears. The case was taken to the Supreme Court through the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) and the Calcutta High Court.
In May 2022, when the high court ordered the Bengal government to pay DA to state employees on par with the Central government, the state challenged this decision in the Supreme Court.
In May last year, the top court had ordered the West Bengal government to pay 25 per cent of the pending dues but the state could not pay the employees within the six-week time frame because of a financial crisis, and sought another six months' time. There was no allocation for outstanding DA in the state budget for the financial year 2025-26.
Read: Supreme Court Orders Bengal To Pay 25% Of DA Pending Dues To State Government Employees
In September, the top court had reserved its verdict.
As the employees' organisations, announced a strike, the state government warned a no work, no pay option for the strikers.
Currently, Bengal government employees get 18 per cent DA after the new 4 per cent is added to the existing 14 per cent as on April 1, 2025, leading to widespread discontent among employees. Since July 2024, the Central Government staff receive 50 per cent.
