Minutes Before Poll Code: Mamata Banerjee Orders ₹25,000 Crore DA Payout for Bengal Employees
Kolkata / Tarai 24 Regional Desk, March 15, 2026 — In a massive political and financial move executed just minutes before the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that her government will begin clearing the long-pending Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears for state employees.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Chief Minister announced that the state will clear the ROPA 2009 DA arrears for active employees, pensioners, teachers, non-teaching staff, and workers in grant-in-aid institutions like panchayats and municipal bodies, starting from March 2026.
Bowing to the Supreme Court
The highly anticipated announcement follows a definitive Supreme Court ruling on February 5, which declared that DA is an “enforceable right” and not merely a discretionary bounty provided by the government.
A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had directed the state to release 25 percent of the outstanding arrears by March 31. The apex court also formed a high-level committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to finalize a strict, binding payment schedule for arrears spanning from 2008 to 2019.
The state government had initially approached the Supreme Court just last week seeking an extension until December, citing the severe financial burden of the upcoming elections. With an estimated total payout of ₹25,000 crore, the state faces a massive fiscal undertaking to satisfy the roughly 12 lakh current and retired state employees covered by the verdict.
“A Desperate Poll Gimmick”
The timing of the announcement—coming moments before the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) went into effect—drew sharp criticism from the opposition.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari immediately slammed the move on social media. “What a JOKE! Mamata Banerjee suddenly remembers lakhs of employees just MINUTES before the Election Commission announces poll dates? Not a single paisa will actually be released,” Adhikari posted. He dismissed the announcement as a “desperate poll gimmick” and “classic TMC election drama.”
Conversely, the Sangrami Joutha Mancha, the employee organization that spearheaded the years-long legal battle, celebrated the development. Leader Bhaskar Ghosh stated that the announcement proved that patience and faith in the law could yield success without relying on political patronage.
The political stakes of this financial payout are incredibly high, as West Bengal voters prepare to head to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results to be declared on May 4.
