The Sangrami Joutha Mancha has knocked on the doors of the Election Commission to resolve the mounting uncertainty regarding the 4% Dearness Allowance (DA) payment. The organization has formally submitted a written request to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal to intervene in the matter.
According to the letter, the 4% DA announced in the 2026-27 state budget remains unimplemented. Although employees were expecting this raise from April 2026, no official notification has been issued yet. Furthermore, the organization claims that the government has not even initiated the processing of revised salary bills.
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Growing Discontent
Meanwhile, this delay has fueled frustration among government employees, teachers, and non-teaching staff. The organization alleges that the state government and the Chief Minister are frequently claiming at public events and press conferences that the DA is stuck because the Election Commission hasn’t granted permission. The ruling Trinamool Congress has reportedly been pushing this same narrative on social media.
However, the Sangrami Joutha Mancha argues that the 4% DA announcement was made well before the election dates were declared. Consequently, they contend that withholding the payment under the guise of the Model Code of Conduct is completely unjustified—a point they noted has already been highlighted in the media.
Interaction with the Commission
On April 21, representatives of the organization held a discussion with the Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Arindam Niyogi. They have submitted all necessary documents, including newspaper clippings, screenshots of statements, and other supporting evidence to the Commission to back their claims.
Impact on Employees
This delay is hitting the monthly salaries of state government employees directly. Currently, employees under the 6th Pay Commission structure are not seeing the expected increase in their paychecks. The 4% hike was announced in the interim budget back in February, and the failure to implement it is causing significant financial strain for the workforce, according to the leaders of the organization.
The Sangrami Joutha Mancha has now urged the Election Commission to issue clear guidelines and ensure the state finance department gets the necessary green light. With this development, a fresh political standoff in the state seems imminent.
Latest Update: It is worth noting that the 4% DA was announced in the February 2026 state budget, which would have brought the total DA rate to 22%. Meanwhile, the legal battle over pending DA arrears, following Supreme Court directives, continues to be a major point of contention within the state.
