WB DA Update: 5 Key Questions Asked to Nabanna via RTI Regarding Arrears

WB DA Update: Despite the passage of significant time following the Supreme Court’s directive, the ambiguity surrounding the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears for West Bengal state government employees continues to persist. Anxiety is running high among employees regarding whether the state government has formed the mandated committee or if any blueprint for clearing arrears has been prepared. In a strategic move to maintain legal pressure and ensure transparency, the petitioner organization has directly approached the Finance Department, wielding the Right to Information (RTI) Act to demand accountability on five crucial points.

Strategic Legal Move: Filing the RTI

While contempt of court cases have already been filed earlier in February and March, substantial documentation is required to effectively corner the state government in the ongoing legal battle. With this objective, Sri Biplab Banerjee, on behalf of the Unity Forum and under the guidance of Advocate Karuna Nandy, has filed an RTI with the State Public Information Officer at the Finance Department (Nabanna). This application, dated March 6, 2026, aims to gather official evidence regarding the extent to which the government has complied with the Supreme Court’s orders. This information acts as vital evidence for future legal proceedings.

5 Key Questions Asked to the Finance Department

The RTI application specifically seeks answers on five definite issues related to the clearing of arrears and the implementation of court orders:

• Progress on Compliance: What specific steps has the State Government taken to implement the Supreme Court’s directive regarding DA dated May 16, 2025?
• Clearing 25% Arrears: What initiatives have been taken to implement the order regarding the payment of 25% Arrear DA pending from 2008 and 2019?
• Status of the Committee: Has the special committee, which was supposed to be formed as per the Supreme Court’s February 2026 order to draft the roadmap for clearing arrears, actually been constituted?
• Submission of Report: If the committee has indeed been formed, have they submitted their final report or recommendations to the State Government?
• Payment Schedule: If the committee’s report has been submitted, has any ‘Schedule of Payment’ or timeline been prepared to clear the 25% DA arrears from 2019?

Rumors vs. Reality: Message to Employees

In the age of social media, various fake news and rumors regarding the DA case are spreading rapidly. Recently, claims have surfaced that the State Government has filed a Review Petition in the Supreme Court or that the committee formation is complete. However, the reality is that neither the government nor any credible news media has confirmed the veracity of such reports yet.

In this situation, the clear message from the petitioner organizations is to rely solely on official notifications or verified legal updates rather than unverified sources. Paying heed to unnecessary rumors will only increase confusion among the workforce.