Mamata announces pending DA payout from March 2026 onwards as per ROPA 2009

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that government employees, pensioners, teachers and staff of grant-in-aid institutions will begin receiving their long-pending ROPA 2009 Dearness Allowance arrears from March 2026. The announcement was made through a public statement just minutes before the Election Commission of India is scheduled to announce the official dates for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to the Chief Minister, the arrears will be released in accordance with modalities outlined in notifications issued by the state’s Finance Department. The decision will benefit state government employees and pensioners as well as lakhs of teaching and non-teaching staff working in educational institutions.

The announcement also covers employees and pensioners associated with grant-in-aid institutions such as panchayats, municipal bodies and other local government institutions across the state. The Chief Minister stated that the move fulfills a commitment made by the Ma-Mati-Manush government to its workforce.

The timing of the announcement has drawn attention as it comes shortly before the Election Commission formally declares the election schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls. The decision is expected to impact a large section of the state’s government employees and pensioners who had been awaiting the settlement of the ROPA 2009 DA arrears.