Kolkata: An hour before the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the Assembly election dates, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government will be clearing pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears of state employees and pensioners from this month.
“I am happy to announce that our Ma-Mati-Manush government has delivered on its promise to all its employees and pensioners, and to lakhs of teachers and non-teaching staff of our educational institutions, as well as employees/ pensioners of our other grant-in-aid institutions like panchayats, municipal bodies, other local bodies etc. They 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,” Mamata wrote in a post on X.
The chief minister’s announcement was ridiculed by the BJP, West Bengal’s main opposition party.
Terming it a “poll gimmick” Suvendu Adhikari claimed that no money will actually be released.
“What a JOKE! Mamata Banerjee suddenly remembers lakhs of employees, pensioners, teachers and non-teaching staff just MI
NUTES before the Election Commission announces poll dates? ROPA 2009 DA arrears ‘from March 2026 onwards? 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. West Bengal is watching. This time the joke is on you Mamata Banerjee,” said Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
Polling in West Bengal will take place in two phases – April 23 and 29. Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote in a single phase, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced on Sunday.
Asked about the West Bengal CM’s DA arrears assurance just ahead of the poll dates announcement, the CEC said it’s not a Model Code of Conduct violation as the code has kicked in just now.
Mamata also announced an increase in the monthly honorarium for priests and muezzins in West Bengal.
“I am pleased to announce an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorariums extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities,” the Trinamool Congress supremo said in another post on X.
Following the revision, both groups will receive monthly payment of Rs 2,000.