2008–15 arrear ordered 23.09.2026

West Bengal DA Arrears Case Tracker: Supreme Court Judgment, Payment Orders & Timeline

Every court order and payment order in the West Bengal DA arrears case, in date order, with what comes next and links to the source documents.

DA Arrears Case Tracker West Bengal · the dearness allowance case from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court, and every payment order
Current stage Arrears for 2008–2019 being paid 2016–2019 paid by 31.03.2026; 2008–2015 ordered on 23.09.2026
Supreme Court judgment
05.02.2026 · 2026 INSC 123
DA standard
AICPI, as in the ROPA 2009 rules
Monitoring committee
Chaired by Justice Indu Malhotra (Retd.)
Latest payment order
3556-F(P2), 23.09.2026
Tracker last updated

Where the case stands

  1. Tribunal2016
  2. High Court20.05.2022
  3. Supreme Court05.02.2026
  4. 2016–2019 arrearMar 2026
  5. 2008–2015 arrearSep 2026
  6. Final accountCommittee

What comes next

  • 2008–2015 arrear statements in HRMS. DDOs verify pay particulars against the service book and generate separate arrear DA statements and bills for 2008–2015 and 2016–2019, under Memorandum 3576-F(eGov) dated 24.09.2026. Employees whose pay was never processed in HRMS need their DDO to enter it first. Work out your 2008–2015 arrear
  • Monitoring committee’s final account. The judgment asks the committee to determine the total amount due, fix the payment schedule the State must follow and verify each release. The payments so far are subject to adjustment against its determination.
  • GPF lock-in ends. Arrear credited to GPF (Groups A, B and C) cannot be used for GPF advances or final withdrawal until 31.03.2028, or earlier retirement, death or resignation (3556-F(P2), 23.09.2026).

Timeline of the case and the payment orders

  1. Finance Dept (e-Governance)

    HRMS rules for calculating the 2008–2019 arrear

    Memorandum No. 3576-F(eGov) dated 24.09.2026. A new HRMS menu, “Pay Details entry for Arrear DA”, lets DDOs enter and verify the pay of employees whose pay for any part of 01.04.2008 to 31.12.2019 was not processed through HRMS. Separate arrear statements and bills are generated for 2008–2015 and 2016–2019.

  2. Finance Dept notification

    Whole 2008–2015 DA arrear ordered in one instalment

    Notification No. 3556-F(P2) dated 23.09.2026 orders the entire arrear of DA for 01.04.2008 to 31.12.2015, calculated on AICPI with 100% neutralisation, in a single instalment, after adjusting what was paid for 2016–2019. Groups A, B and C are credited to GPF (locked until 31.03.2028); Group D is paid in cash.

  3. Finance Dept memorandum

    Dearness relief arrear for pensioners, 2008–2015

    Memorandum No. 1909-F(P2) dated 29.05.2026 provides dearness relief arrears for April 2008 to December 2015 at 100% AICPI neutralisation for pensioners and family pensioners, paid in the manner of Memorandum 997-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026.

  4. Finance Dept corrigendum

    2016–2019 arrear to be paid in one go by 31 March 2026

    Corrigendum No. 1086-F(P2) dated 23.03.2026 changed the two instalments of Memorandum 996-F(P2) into a single payment by 31.03.2026.

  5. Finance Dept memoranda

    First payment orders: DA and DR arrear for 2016–2019

    Memorandum No. 996-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026 released the DA arrear for 01.01.2016 to 31.12.2019 to employees, on the AICPI formula, subject to adjustment once the monitoring committee determines the total. Memorandum No. 997-F(P2) of the same date did the same for pensioners’ dearness relief.

  6. Supreme Court judgment

    DA is a legally enforceable right; arrears for 2008–2019 to be paid

    State of West Bengal v. Confederation of State Government Employees, West Bengal (Civil Appeals 792–794 of 2026, 2026 INSC 123), Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra. The Court held that AICPI is the standard for DA under the ROPA rules, confirmed the interim order to release at least 25%, and set up a committee chaired by Justice Indu Malhotra (Retd.), with former High Court Chief Justices/Judges Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Goutam Bhaduri and a CAG nominee, to fix the total and the payment schedule by 06.03.2026. The first instalment was due by 31.03.2026; employees who retired during the case are included. Amounts paid are not recoverable. Listed for compliance on 15.04.2026.

  7. Supreme Court interim order

    Release at least 25% within six weeks

    Hearing the State’s appeal, the Supreme Court directed the State to release at least 25% of the amount due under the High Court’s judgment within six weeks, saying employees need not be kept waiting endlessly. Contempt petitions followed when it was not paid; the final judgment disposed of them and repeated the direction.

  8. Calcutta High Court

    State’s review petition decided

    Order in RVW No. 159/2022 dated 22.09.2022 on the State’s review of the May 2022 judgment. The State then appealed to the Supreme Court (SLP(C) Nos. 22628–22630 of 2022).

  9. Calcutta High Court

    High Court upholds the employees’ right to DA on AICPI

    Judgment in WPST No. 102/2020 dated 20.05.2022 upheld the Tribunal: DA must be paid on the AICPI (1982=100) as the ROPA 2009 rules and the Finance Department’s memoranda 1691-F and 1692-F of 23.02.2009 provide.

  10. Calcutta High Court

    High Court: DA is part of pay, not the State’s prerogative

    Judgment in WPST No. 45 of 2017 dated 31.08.2018. The Tribunal had held that DA was not an accrued right; the High Court held that the State accepts DA as a fixed percentage of basic pay and recognises it under Rule 12 of the ROPA rules, and sent the case back to the Tribunal.

  11. Case filed

    Employees go to the State Administrative Tribunal

    The Confederation of State Government Employees and Unity Forum filed O.A. No. 1154 of 2016, arguing that DA had not been paid as the 5th Pay Commission and the ROPA 2009 rules require, and pointing to the gap with Central DA and with state employees posted outside Bengal.

  12. ROPA 2009

    DA to follow the AICPI under the ROPA 2009 rules

    Finance Department memoranda 1691-F and 1692-F dated 23.02.2009 set out how DA is drawn in the revised pay structure, on the AICPI index average 536 (1982=100). These are the documents the courts relied on.

Arrear amounts depend on each employee’s pay history. For your own figure, see the HRMS arrear statement or ask your DDO.

Where the DA arrears case stands

On 5 February 2026 the Supreme Court held that receiving dearness allowance is a legally enforceable right of West Bengal state government employees, that DA must follow the AICPI as the ROPA 2009 rules provide, and that arrears for 2008 to 2019 must be paid (State of West Bengal v. Confederation of State Government Employees, 2026 INSC 123). It set up a monitoring committee chaired by Justice Indu Malhotra (Retd.) to fix the total amount and the payment schedule.

The Finance Department has since paid the arrear for 2016–2019 (Memorandum 996-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026, made a single payment by Corrigendum 1086-F(P2) dated 23.03.2026) and ordered the whole arrear for April 2008 to December 2015 in one instalment (Notification 3556-F(P2) dated 23.09.2026). Pensioners get the matching dearness relief under Memoranda 997-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026 and 1909-F(P2) dated 29.05.2026.

How the arrear is worked out

HRMS compares the DA each employee drew with the DA due under the AICPI formula on the 2007 base, month by month, on ROPA 2009 basic pay. The arrear arises mainly from 2012 onwards; in 2008–2011 West Bengal’s own rates were equal to or higher than the AICPI rates. Your statement depends on your pay history, including increments, promotions and CAS.

To check your own figure, use the DA Arrear Calculator 2008–2015 and the DA Arrear Calculator 2016–2019, which reproduce the HRMS statements.

How it is paid

  • Groups A, B and C: credited to GPF, which cannot be used for advances or final withdrawal until 31.03.2028, or earlier retirement, death or resignation.
  • Group D: paid to the bank account.
  • Pensioners and family pensioners: dearness relief arrear to the pension account.
  • Income tax: deducted at source. Relief under section 89 can be claimed for arrears of earlier years.

How to use this tool

  1. Read the status panel for the stage the case has reached and the latest payment order.
  2. Follow the stage rail from the Tribunal to the final account.
  3. Use the filters to see only court orders, only payment orders, or the background.
  4. Open the official PDF on an entry to read the judgment or order itself.

Important guidelines

How entries are classified

  • Court orders & judgments: the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court. Details are taken from the Supreme Court judgment of 05.02.2026, which recounts the whole history.
  • Payment orders: Finance Department memoranda and notifications releasing the arrears.
  • Background: how the case began and the rules it turns on.

Sources

Every entry links to the judgment on sci.gov.in or the order on finance.wb.gov.in. WBPAY republishes these documents to make them easier to find; it did not issue them. Hearings and reports that have no published order are not listed.

Important notes

  • Final amount: the payments so far are subject to adjustment once the monitoring committee determines the total due.
  • Central rates: the arrear is calculated on the AICPI formula under the ROPA rules, not at Central Government DA rates.
  • Updates: this tracker is revised when a new order or judgment is issued. Check the date in the status panel.
Last updated 28 September 2026 Version 2026.09

Frequently asked questions

What did the Supreme Court decide in the West Bengal DA case?

In its judgment of 05.02.2026 (2026 INSC 123) the Supreme Court held that receiving DA is a legally enforceable right of state employees, that the AICPI is the standard under the ROPA rules, and that employees are entitled to arrears for 2008–2019. It set up a committee chaired by Justice Indu Malhotra (Retd.) to fix the total amount and a payment schedule the State must follow. Employees who retired during the case are included.

Has the 2016–2019 DA arrear been paid?

Yes. Memorandum 996-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026 released it, and Corrigendum 1086-F(P2) dated 23.03.2026 made it a single payment by 31.03.2026. Pensioners received dearness relief arrears under Memorandum 997-F(P2) dated 13.03.2026.

When will the 2008–2015 DA arrear be paid?

Notification 3556-F(P2) dated 23.09.2026 ordered the whole arrear for 01.04.2008 to 31.12.2015 in a single instalment. DDOs generate the arrear statements in HRMS under Memorandum 3576-F(eGov) dated 24.09.2026.

Why is my arrear so small for 2008 to 2011?

In those years West Bengal paid DA at rates equal to or higher than the AICPI formula gives on the 2007 base, so there is little or no arrear. Most of the arrear arises in 2014 and 2015.

Can I withdraw the DA arrear credited to GPF?

Not yet. Under Notification 3556-F(P2) dated 23.09.2026 it cannot be counted for GPF advances or final withdrawal until 31.03.2028, or until retirement, death or resignation if earlier.

Who is on the Supreme Court monitoring committee?

Justice Indu Malhotra, retired Supreme Court judge, as chairperson; former High Court Chief Justice/Judges Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Goutam Bhaduri; and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India or a senior officer nominated by him.

Will the arrear be recovered if the law changes?

No. The judgment says any amount disbursed in compliance with it shall not be recovered on account of a subsequent change in law.