Mamata govt. to clear DA arrears of staff, pensioners

Mamata Banerjee announces clearance of DA arrears for state employees and pensioners starting March 2026, fulfilling a long-standing demand.

An hour before the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday (March 15, 2026) said that her government will clear DA arrears of its employees and pensioners from March this year.

“I am happy to announce that our... 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 instititions 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,” she posted on X.

The arrears relate to the Revision of Pay and Allowances (ROPA) 2009, a long-standing demand of government employees and pensioners, covering salaries and allowances of teachers, municipal and panchayat staffers, and other grant-in-aid institutions.

A section of State government employees had moved the Supreme Court on the issue, demanding clearance of DA dues. The top court ordered the release of 25% of DA arrears to its employees by March 31, 2026.

Minutes before this, the Chief Minister promised to hike the honorarium for purohits (Hindu priests) and muezzins by ₹500. “With this revision, they will now receive ₹2,000 per month,” the Chief Minister said.