West Bengal clears 16-year DA arrears for 1.1M state employees
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the payment of long-pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears to state employees. The move follows a Supreme Court directive and covers arrears dating back to 2008. Around 1.1 million government workers, pensioners, and staff in grant-in-aid institutions will benefit from the decision.
The announcement came via Banerjee's official social media account on a Sunday afternoon. She confirmed that the state government would begin clearing the arrears from March 2026, as outlined in Finance Department notifications. Payments will be made in instalments, with initial funds already allocated in the 2024-2025 state budget.
The arrears will cover not just state government employees but also teachers, non-teaching staff, and workers in panchayats and municipal bodies. However, the full timeline for disbursement remains dependent on the state's fiscal capacity. The decision aims to resolve a 16-year delay in DA payments, providing financial relief to a wide section of public sector workers.
The phased release of DA arrears marks a significant step in addressing a long-standing issue for West Bengal's public sector workforce. While payments will start in 2026, the exact schedule will rely on budgetary availability. The move directly impacts over a million employees and pensioners across various state institutions.
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