Mamata Banerjee Announces Major Financial Benefits Ahead of Election Code
In a significant move timed just before the implementation of the election model code of conduct, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced two major financial decisions affecting lakhs of beneficiaries across the state.
DA Arrears Payment for Employees and Pensioners
The Chief Minister declared that her government would pay Rs 10,000 crore in dearness allowance (DA) arrears to approximately nine lakh state employees and pensioners, with payments scheduled to commence from March 2026. This announcement came less than an hour before Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's press conference to declare the poll schedule for four states and one Union territory.
The decision follows a Supreme Court directive from February that ordered the Trinamool Congress government to pay 25% of the DA arrears by March 31. The remaining arrears are to be disbursed according to a schedule formulated by a committee led by retired Justice Indu Malhotra.
"Bengal government employees and pensioners will start receiving their ROPA (Revision of Pay and Allowances) 2009 DA arrears from March 2026 onwards, per the modalities detailed in the notifications issued by our finance department," Mamata Banerjee posted on her official X handle at 3:05 PM on Sunday.
Honorarium Hike for Religious Functionaries
Earlier in the day, at 2:40 PM, the Chief Minister had announced a Rs 500 increase in the monthly honorarium for Hindu priests and Muslim muezzins, raising their monthly stipend from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. This hike is expected to benefit around 2.5 lakh religious functionaries across the state.
Rajib Banerjee, president of the Paschimbanga Rajya Sanatan Brahman Trust, welcomed the decision, stating, "This will benefit them significantly." The trust has approximately 1.7 lakh registered priests among the total beneficiaries.
Political Reactions and Timing Controversy
The timing of these announcements, coming just 55 minutes before the election schedule announcement, sparked immediate political controversy. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh defended the timing, asserting, "The CM had planned this scheme well in advance and made the formal announcement when she deemed it appropriate."
However, Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari dismissed the DA announcement as "a joke" and a "classic TMC election drama."
When questioned about the announcements, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that there was nothing improper about a state government implementing new policy decisions before the official announcement of polls. However, he emphasized that once the model code of conduct takes effect, "any decision affecting the outcome of elections or acting as an inducement is not allowed."
Employee Union Response
Bhaskar Ghosh of Sangrami Joutha Mancha, a union representing state government employees, attributed the announcement to "sustained pressure by agitating employees from a non-partisan platform." This suggests that employee activism played a role in prompting the government's decision regarding the long-pending DA arrears.
The dual announcements represent substantial financial commitments by the West Bengal government, totaling thousands of crores in expenditure, affecting both the state's workforce and religious communities as the election season begins.
