The DA boost comes as the Election Commission of India prepares to announce the schedule for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
BY PC Bureau
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced a Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for state government employees hours before the Election Commission of India is expected to enforce the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the Assembly elections.
The announcement comes as the state prepares for elections to the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly, whose current term ends on May 7. Polling is widely expected to take place in multiple phases in April and early May.
While the state government did not immediately specify the exact percentage of the DA increase or the date from which it will take effect, the move is expected to benefit thousands of state government employees and pensioners who have long demanded parity with central government DA levels.
Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, criticised the timing of the announcement, calling it a pre-poll measure aimed at appealing to government employees and their families just before the election code comes into force.
Alongside the DA announcement, Ms Banerjee also declared an increase in the monthly honorarium for religious functionaries in the state. In a post on X, she said the government had raised the stipend for Hindu priests and Muslim clerics.
“I am pleased to announce an increase of ₹500 in the monthly honorariums extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities. With this revision, they will now receive ₹2,000 per month,” Ms Banerjee said.
The chief minister added that all pending applications submitted by priests and muezzins for the state scheme had also been approved.
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 instititions…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 15, 2026
“We take pride in nurturing an environment where every community and every tradition is valued and strengthened. Our endeavour remains to ensure that the custodians of our rich spiritual heritage receive the recognition and support they deserve,” she said.
The issue of DA and government benefits has remained a major political flashpoint in the state in recent months. In February, the West Bengal government presented an interim budget proposing a 4 per cent DA increase from April 1 and expanded welfare programmes such as Lakshmir Bhandar.
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 instititions…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 15, 2026
At the same time, a dispute over pending DA arrears has continued. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India directed the state government to release 25 per cent of outstanding dues by March 31, while allowing the remaining payments to be cleared in installments.
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The BJP has repeatedly attacked the ruling All India Trinamool Congress government over the issue, arguing that West Bengal employees receive significantly lower DA compared with central government staff. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar recently said the party would ensure “proper DA” implementation if it comes to power.
With the Election Commission expected to announce the poll schedule shortly, the Model Code of Conduct will soon come into force, restricting fresh government announcements and marking the formal start of the election campaign in one of India’s most closely watched state contests.
