The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has not yet cleared the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) of nearly 10 lakh State employees in complete violation of the order of the Supreme Court of India.

For the unversed, DA is paid to employees and pensioners (often called Dearness Relief or DR) alike to help them deal with inflation and rising cost of living.

While the Central government pays 55% DA to its employees, the West Bengal government gives a paltry 18%.

A meager 4 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for WB Government Employees, starting from April 1, 2025. This would bring the total DA to 18 per cent.
However, even after this announcement, WB State Government Employees are far behind from the Central Government… pic.twitter.com/oMYCrtJ4Zn

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) February 12, 2025

In February this year, the Mamata govt announced a 4% increase in DA, which was to become effective from 1st April 2025.

This would have essentially taken the total DA from 14% to 18%, which is 37% less than what is being paid by the Modi government at the Centre. The Mamata government has not disbursed the pending DA to the employees and pensioners.

The prolonged and deliberate delay on the part of the State, despite a Supreme Court order, forced government employees to hold a protest march on Monday (28th July) to the State Secretariat (Nabanna).

ডিএ আন্দোলনে গোলমাল এড়াতে বিপুল সংখ্যক পুলিশ ‌মোতায়েন #DAProtest #DAMovement #NabannaAbhijan #Kolkata
[Nabanna Abhijan, Kolkata DA protest] pic.twitter.com/3vt5ADllxe

— anandabazar.com (@MyAnandaBazar) July 28, 2025

To muzzle the demonstrations, the Mamata government ensured a heavy deployment of police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, water cannons, and double-layer barricades. 

A govt employee stated, “There are more police here than protestors, they are scared of us. They have stolen our jobs, have not paid our dues.”

This development comes amid the cancellation of 25,753 jobs of individuals who were appointed by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) for the positions of Assistant Teachers and non-teaching staff.

It becomes politically significant as well when analysed in the context of the 2026 Vidhan Sabha elections.

The verdict by the Supreme Court in May 2025

On 16th May this year, a 2-Judge Division Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta directed the West Bengal government to release 25% of the DA arrears accumulated between 2009 and 2019.

The total outstanding DA to be disbursed to employees stands at ₹41,871 crores. The apex court ordered that 25% of the amount i.e. ₹10,468.

“We find the Tribunal and the High Court to have adjudicated the right of the employees to receive Dearness Allowance pursuant to the 5th Pay Commission. The paucity of funds is a ground which stands negated both by the Tribunal and the High Court,” the Division Bench ruled.

“We are of the considered view that the employees need not be kept waiting endlessly to receive the money in question. Needless to add, disbursal of such an amount shall be without prejudice to the respective rights and contentions of the
parties and subject to the outcome of the instant petition,” it added.

The matter was adjourned and listed for 4th August 2025. The order of the Supreme Court came in response to a May 2022 verdict by the Calcutta High Court in the case – The State of West Bengal & Ors. Vs Confederation of State Government Employees, West Bengal & Ors.

The Calcutta High Court had directed the TMC government to release the DA and Arrear DA to employees as per the West Bengal Services (Revision of Pay and Allowances) Rules of 2009 within 3 months.

It upheld a previous order of the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT). The Calcutta High Court also pointed out that Dearness Allowance is a legally enforceable right of employees.

“Such right of the employees to sustain their livelihood with dignity has been fructified or elevated as a fundamental right as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution,” it stated.

At that time, TMC had attempted to blame the Centre, claiming that the financial crisis in West Bengal was due to an alleged non-clearance of ₹92,000 crore by the Modi government.

Interestingly, the case was filed by petitioners Malay Mukhopadhyay and Shyamal Kumar Mitra, who are associated with the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).

Mukherjee told The Indian Express, “We realised then that the government is not in the mood to pay our outstanding DA, and the courts are the only way to get it. So, we went to the SAT, which gave an order against us. We challenged the order and went to the Calcutta High Court. After that, our journey began, and the West Bengal government has lost every case against us.”

Mamata govt seeks extension of 6 months

On 27th June this year, the Mamata government pleaded with the Supreme Court to extend the deadline to clear 25% of the outstanding DA from 6 weeks to an additional 6 months.

The development followed the expiry of the term set by the apex court on 16th May. The Trinamool Congress government alleged a ‘severe financial crisis’ to justify its failure to adhere to the stipulated time set by the Supreme Court.

Additionally, it filed a petition to review the verdict given by the Division Bench of the Supreme Court.

The General Secretary of the Confederation of State Government Employees, Malay Mukherjee, pointed out that he had anticipated the move by the TMC govt and hence sent a notice to the Chief Secretary in advance.

“The state government has been informed that we will file a contempt of court case against the state government in the Supreme Court in the coming days,” he added.

No funds for DA but monthly doles to Imams and Muezzins

In August 2023, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government increased the monthly honorarium of Islamic clerics (Imams) by ₹500.

As such, the effective monthly increase of allowance to Imams have increased to ₹3000 (up from ₹2500) since then. Muslims who give Islamic call to prayer (Azaan), popularly called muezzins, are also paid an honorarium of ₹1500 per month.

OpIndia had recently reported how a Bangladeshi national named Mohammed Salim Ansari was also a beneficiary of the ‘Imam Bhata’ scheme.

It must be mentioned that the West Bengal government under Mamata Banerjee introduced the scheme of honorarium for 55,000 Islamic clerics and muezzins within just a year of coming to power.

In a notification released on 19th April 2012, by the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education, the govt announced, “The District Magistrate will also requisition funds for a period of 2(TWO) months, initially, on the basis of the number of imams of the District @ Rs. 2500/- per IMAM per month.”

The Mamata government appears flush with funds when it comes to appeasing the Muslim community and strengthening her vote bank. She is now faced with increasing demands to raise ‘Imam Bhata’ to ₹20000 per month.

Clearing the pending DA of government employees and pensioners is certainly not the priority of her government.